No Greater Love
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: A New Land, A New Adventure" (aka "Get The Show on the Road)...but a very different ending. (20 chapters)
1. Chapter 1

"What th'?"

"Did you get the machine fixed, Joshua?" Professor Birch asked his assistant as he burst into the lab with the limp form of Pikachu cradled in his arms. On his heels was a dark-haired boy in a baseball cap.

"I've just finished fixing it now," replied Professor Birch's assistant, giving a screw in the control panel one final turn. "But it wasn't easy. Pikachu nearly blasted it into oblivion during the earlier procedure and…"

"Never mind that," Professor Birch said, cutting him off. "I don't think we'll have to worry about that now." He gently placed the semiconscious Pokémon on the examination table. "Team Rocket took care of most of that for us."

"Professor Birch, is Pikachu gonna be okay?" Ash asked anxiously as both Professor Birch and his assistant huddled around the unconscious Pokémon.

"There's still some residual electrical discharge," the heavyset young professor noticed as he gently stroked the Pokémon's red cheek with a fingertip and sparks flew in all directions. "Looks like Team Rocket didn't discharge all of Pikachu's excess electricity."

"But you can do it, right, Professor Birch?" Ash said hopefully, stroking the fur on Pikachu's back. Pikachu responded by opening its eyes slightly and began licking the spot on Ash's arm where he had bitten him earlier in an electrical-induced fit of rage.

"Oh, Pikachu…don't worry about that, buddy, I'm okay," Ash replied softly as he continued to stroke the Pokémon's soft yellow fur. "I just want you to be okay. Professor Birch's gonna make you feel better."

"Ash, I think I need to put Pikachu to sleep," said Professor Birch, who was busy examining the semiconscious Pokémon.

"Put Pikachu…?" With a cry, Ash threw himself atop his Pokémon, knocking the professor's hand aside. "No, Professor Birch…you can't do that! Please…don't put Pikachu to sleep!" Ash began sobbing into the fur on Pikachu's back.

Shocked by Ash's response, Professor Birch stared at the boy. "Ash, what's the matter?" Then it dawned on him what he had just said. "Oh…oh, no. Ash, no…that's not what I meant." The professor laid a hand atop the weeping boy's shoulder. "I didn't mean put Pikachu to sleep. Not the way you're thinking."

Ash turned his tear-stained face to the burly young man hovering over him. "It's…it's not?"

"No. What I meant was I want to anesthetize Pikachu. I think if Pikachu's asleep during the electrical discharge procedure, it'll be less stressful for him…and the machine."

"Oh…oh…" Relived, Ash quickly wiped away his tears with the back of his sleeve. "I thought you meant…"

"Sorry. That was a poor choice of words on my part," Professor Birch replied. "Ash, why don't you let me finish examining Pikachu and then we can get started on the procedure?" He then noticed the oozing bite wound on the boy's arm. "You'd better go clean up that bite on your arm – that looks pretty nasty."

"I don't wanna leave Pikachu, Professor Birch," Ash pleaded.

"Don't worry, Ash. Everything will be all right," Professor Birch reassured the distraught boy. "Go with my assistant. He'll show you where the bandages are."

Ash reluctantly went with Professor Birch's graduate student while the young professor continued with Pikachu's examination.

"You've got yourself one devoted trainer, Pikachu," Professor Birch smiled as he stroked the Pokémon's back. Despite Professor Birch's intimidating size, he was quite gentle when it came to Pokémon. "You're lucky to have a friend like Ash."

"Pika," the Pokémon replied softly.

When Professor Birch's assistant returned a few moments later, he found his boss regarding Pikachu with a serious expression on his face.

"Did you get Ash patched up, Joshua?" Professor Birch asked somewhat distractedly, stuffing his stethoscope in the pocket of his lab coat.

"Yeah, he's busy with the bandages and…something wrong?"

"Maybe it's just my imagination," Professor Birch said, staring at the Pokémon that lay panting on the table before him. "But when I was examining Pikachu, I could've sworn that I heard something that didn't sound right."

"What do you mean, Professor?" Joshua asked, concerned.

"An abnormal heartbeat. An arrhythmia. I hope that maybe it's just due to the excess electricity in Pikachu's system. That would affect the electrical conduction of the heart."

"But I thought electric Pokémon like Pikachu were capable of dealing with conductive abnormalities," Professor Birch's assistant replied, reaching out and lightly touching Pikachu's cheek. "They normally don't have problems with arrhythmia."

"So did I. But maybe it's due to the electrical overload. We'll see as soon as we get him hooked up to the EKG and get the procedure started. I'm hoping that once the excess electricity is out of his system that everything will return to normal. But to be on the safe side, we'll use one of the short-acting anesthetics."

"I hope that's the only thing that's wrong," Joshua said, tracing the brown stripes along Pikachu's yellow back. "That kid's really attached to this Pokémon."

"You're telling me," said Professor Birch, recalling Ash's near-hysterical reaction a moment earlier. "Anyway, let's hope for the best, and the procedure reverses the arrhythmia. Let's get started."

_To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

"Damn," Professor Birch swore under his breath as he examined the readout on the monitor that was attached to Pikachu's chest.

"It didn't work?" Joshua whispered back.

Both men were speaking in low voices to avoid being overheard by Ash, who was waiting anxiously in the next room.

Professor Birch shook his head. "No. That magnet must've done some damage when it sent Pikachu's electrical system into overdrive. Either that, or else Pikachu's had this for awhile and no one ever diagnosed it. Wonder when Pikachu last had a physical?"

"I'll go ask Ash," Joshua said, starting for the doorway.

"Hey…don't tell him what's going on, okay?" Professor Birch said in a low voice. "I don't want to upset him until I know for sure what's going on."

Joshua nodded and disappeared down the hallway while his boss busied himself with scratching the sleeping Pokémon's ears.

"Ash said that Pikachu had a physical when he was at Professor Oak's in Pallet Town a few days ago," Joshua said when he returned to the treatment room.

Professor Birch smiled at the mention of his former teacher's name. "Well, Professor Oak definitely would know if Pikachu had this problem before all this happened." He gently lifted the unconscious Pokémon and placed it in his assistant's arms. "Take Pikachu to the recovery room and keep an eye on him until he wakes up. You can tell Ash that he can stay with him." Professor Birch reached up and turned off the electrical discharge machine. "Meanwhile, I'm going to give Professor Oak a call."

-

Back in Pallet Town, Professor Birch's former instructor was busy with editing his latest research paper when the videophone rang.

"Professor Birch, this is a nice surprise!" Professor Oak smiled at his former student. "How are things in Hoenn? Matter of fact, a young friend of mine was heading in your direction…a dark-haired boy named…"

"Ash Ketchum? Yeah, he's here." Professor Birch swung the videophone's camera around to reveal a dark-haired boy slumped over asleep on a bed next to a sleeping Pikachu.

"My goodness, looks like the trip must've worn both of them out," Professor Oak smiled. "I didn't think…" He then noticed the bandage on Ash's arm and the monitor hooked up to Pikachu, and his smile faded. "What's going on? What's happened to Ash and Pikachu?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Professor Oak," Professor Birch said, turning the videophone's camera back to its original position. "Professor, when you examined Pikachu a few days ago, did you notice anything abnormal?"

"Abnormal?" Professor Oak shook his head. "No. Pikachu was in top condition. Ash has always taken good care of Pikachu."

"You didn't notice any kind of abnormality with Pikachu's heart? Any irregularities, arrhythmias, anything like that?"

"No. Pikachu was in perfect health. Matter of fact, I wish all my Pokémon were as healthy as Pikachu."

"Damn, I was afraid of that," Professor Birch sighed.

"What's going on, Noah? You're starting to worry me. Is something the matter with Pikachu?"

Professor Birch nodded. "Yeah. On the way over here, Pikachu got trapped in a powerful magnetic field, and it sent its electrical regulation system haywire. I've discharge the excess electricity, but it looks like there's some residual damage."

"Damage? What kind of damage?"

"I'm not one hundred percent certain, but I think the magnet has somehow damaged Pikachu's electrical regulatory system. Specifically, the portion of the system that regulates heartbeat. I was hoping that when I discharged the excess electricity that everything would go back to normal, but it hasn't." He held up a portion of Pikachu's EKG strip to the video screen. "Take a look at this and tell me what you think, Professor Oak. I'm not an expert on Pikachus. Is this normal?"

Professor Oak studied the printout and shook his head. "No. Unfortunately, Noah, you're right. There's definitely something abnormal there. Could you transmit the rest of the EKG over to me? I'd like to study it further."

"Will do, Professor Oak."

"How's Ash dealing with all this?" Professor Oak asked, concerned.

"I haven't told him yet – I wanted to wait until I talked to you first. I was hoping that maybe I'd made a mistake in my diagnosis and that nothing was wrong with Pikachu."

"Well, there's no sense in worrying Ash until we know for certain what's going on with Pikachu. I'll take a look at the EKG as soon as you send it over and call you right back. Meanwhile, just to be on the safe side, make sure Pikachu rests and doesn't overexert himself. No battling."

"That won't be a problem. He's still anesthetized from the electrical discharge procedure." Professor Birch glanced over at the bed where Ash lay snoring. "I think he and Ash will both be out for awhile."

"Good. What happened to Ash's arm, by the way?"

"Pikachu went crazy from the excess electrical stimulation and bit Ash while he was trying to restrain him. It's just a small bite…he's okay."

"Well, that's one bit of good news. Anyway, send over that EKG as soon as you can."

"I'll transmit it as soon as I get off of the phone. Thanks for your help, Professor."

"No problem, Noah. Take care."

Professor Birch hung up the receiver and looked over at where Ash and Pikachu lay. Being careful not to disturb either one of them, he silently made his way over to the bed in the recovery room. Effortlessly he lifted Ash (who was sleeping so soundly that he didn't even move) and laid the boy next to his Pokémon. After covering both of them with a blanket, he studied the monitor that was keeping readout of Pikachu's vital signs and frowned.

_I sure hope I made a mistake_, Professor Birch thought as he turned out the light and let the boy and his Pokémon sleep.

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

"Professor? Hey, Professor Oak?"

Tracey tapped his boss on the shoulder, and Professor Oak whirled around in surprise.

"What th'…? Oh, it's you, Tracey," Professor Oak said, trying to calm his pounding heart. "You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that."

"I didn't, Professor. I said your name a couple of times, but you didn't answer me. You look like you're lost in thought over something. Are you still working on your research paper?"

"Research…? No…I'm actually in the middle of something else. What did you want to talk to me about, Tracey?"

"I just wanted to remind you that Mrs. Ketchum invited you over for dinner at her place at six. You'd better get going." Tracey reached for the pile of books and papers on his boss's desk. "Don't worry. I'll straighten everything up."

"Dinner?" Professor Oak looked at his watch." I forgot all about it. Tracey, could you call Delia and tell her that I'm going to be tied up here tonight? Tell her I'll make it up to her some other time."

"Sure, Professor. I'll…" Tracey noticed that the expression on his boss's face seemed unusually serious. "Something wrong, Professor Oak?"

"Yes, Tracey. There is," Professor Oak replied heavily.

Tracey peered over his boss's shoulder and discovered that Professor Oak had been in the middle of studying an EKG strip when he had disturbed him.

"That doesn't look like a normal EKG," Tracey said.

"Very good, Tracey," Professor Oak commended his observant assistant. "You're right. It's not. Matter of fact…" Professor Oak sighed. "I was in the middle of trying to figure out the best way to tell the person who owns this Pokémon just how serious this is."

Tracey's eyes widened in alarm. "Professor, it's not one of _my_ Pokémon, is it?"

"Oh no, Tracey. It's not one of your Pokémon," Professor Oak quickly reassured his assistant. "This came from a colleague – a former student of mine – who's now a professor. The Pokémon that this EKG belongs to is currently under his care."

"Former stu…Professor Elm?"

"No, it's not Professor Elm," Professor Oak replied. "It's Professor Birch in Hoenn. Which reminds me…I told him I'd call back when I analyzed this. Tracey, why don't you run down to Delia's house and tell her that I'm sorry that I have to cancel our dinner plans? She'll probably give you my portion of dinner."

Tracey smiled at his boss's generosity. "That's okay, Professor, but May and I are going out to eat tonight at the Dodrio Diner in Viridian City and then catch a movie."

"Just make sure you have my granddaughter home by midnight," Professor Oak called out as Tracey disappeared down the hallway. (Not that he was worried – he knew Tracey well enough that he trusted him with his granddaughter.)

As the front door banged shut, Professor Oak sighed and went over to the videophone in the corner. He wasn't looking forward to this phone call.

"Hey, Professor Oak," Professor Birch said as his face appeared on the videophone screen. "That was fast. So what's the verdict?"

"Noah, where's Ash?"

"He and Pikachu are still sleeping. Do you want me to go get him?"

Professor Oak shook his head. "No. Let them sleep."

"I take it from the expression on your face that you don't have good news for me," Professor Birch said, sinking down into a nearby chair, which squeaked in protest under his girth.

"No, I'm afraid I don't, Noah. I've analyzed the EKG you sent me, did some research, and consulted with a couple of colleagues of mine at Celadon University. And we all came up with the same conclusion."

"Which is?"

"That Pikachu has atrioventricular block."

"Damn," Professor Birch swore under his breath. He looked back at the sleeping pair. Pikachu and Ash were lying nose-to-nose, and Ash's arm was wrapped protectively around his faithful Pokémon.

"Noah?"

Professor Birch turned his attention back to his mentor. "Sorry. I was just thinking about how Ash is going to take this."

Professor Oak had spent most of the afternoon thinking about the same thing. "Noah, if it's all right with you, I think that I should be the one to tell Ash. I've known the boy all his life, and I think he'd take it better if he heard it from me."

"Should I go wake him up?"

"No. Let him sleep. I'll call tomorrow. In the meantime, keep Pikachu quiet and stress-free as possible."

"Okay. And thanks, Professor Oak. I appreciate all your help in this."

"I just wish that I had better news for you."

"So do I," Professor Birch sighed. "Anyway, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

After the screen went black, Professor Oak returned to Pikachu's EKG and buried himself in his research, hoping that he'd be able to find something that would give him hope for Pikachu's condition. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Sam?"

Professor Oak jumped and whirled around in surprise to see Delia standing next to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sam," Delia said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Good thing _my_ last EKG was normal," Professor Oak gasped, trying to slow his racing heart once more. "Otherwise between you and Tracey, I would've had a heart attack by now."

"I was worried when Tracey stopped by and said you were too busy to eat." Delia placed a large, foil-wrapped plate in front of him. "So I decided to bring dinner to you."

"Thanks," Professor Oak smiled, sniffing the air. "That's very kind of you. Smells like your famous chicken croquettes."

"And green beans and wild rice," Delia said, removing the foil from the dinner plate. "I also brought you some apple pie for dessert." She moved aside the papers and books from Professor Oak's desk and handed him a fork. "You can't get so caught up in your work that you forget to eat. It's not healthy," Delia admonished as she seated herself in the chair directly across from him. "Now you sit there and eat every bit of that."

As his rumbling stomach reminded him that dinner was already two hours overdue, Professor Oak started on his meal with vigor while Delia watched him eat with satisfaction. The fact the Delia always took the time to look after him was one of the things he loved best about her.

"So what are you working so hard on?" Delia asked as Professor Oak stuffed a forkful of green beans in his mouth.

The reminder of Pikachu's grave condition caused Professor Oak to suddenly lose his appetite. With difficulty, he swallowed the mouthful of green beans and slowly put his fork down.

"What's wrong, Sam? Don't you like them?"

"I do like the green beans, Delia," Professor Oak sighed. "It's just that I've got other things on my mind right now."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Delia said, placing her hand atop his.

And then Professor Oak realized that Delia should know what was going on with Pikachu. After all, she loved the little yellow Pokémon almost as much as her son did.

"Delia, why don't we go over to the couch and sit down?" he said, getting up from his desk.

"But aren't you going to finish your dinner first?" Delia asked, concerned at her friend's lack of appetite.

"No. I need to talk to you about something, Delia." He sat down on the couch next to his desk and patted the spot next to him. "Sit."

"You're starting to worry me, Sam. Is something wrong?" Delia said, seating herself next to him.

Professor Oak sighed and placed his arm around Delia's shoulders. "Yes, Delia. There is."

The serious expression on his face alarmed her. "Are you feeling okay, Sam? You're not sick, are you?" She reached over and felt his forehead.

"I'm fine, Delia. And Tracey is too, before you ask."

"Then what's the matter, Sam? You look like something's bothering you."

"Something is bothering me, Delia."

"Well, what is it?"

"Earlier today, I found out that a Pokémon that I'm very fond of is seriously ill."

"Oh. Oh, dear…I'm so sorry." Delia gave him a comforting hug. "Which one is it?"

"It doesn't belong to me. It belongs to a young trainer that we both know. And all afternoon I've been trying to think of the best way to break the news to them."

"Oh, poor Tracey. I knew that Scyther was old, but I didn't realize that…"

"Delia, it's not Scyther. It's not any of Tracey's Pokémon."

"Oh." Delia thought for a moment. "Poor Misty. That poor girl…first she has to give up traveling with Ash so she can take over the Cerulean City Gym all by herself, and now this."

"Delia, it's not Misty either."

"It's not?" Delia racked her brain further. "Brock?"

"No, it's not Brock either." Professor Oak pulled Delia closer to him. "Delia, it's Ash."

"Ash?" Delia gave her friend a puzzled look. "Sam, what do you mean?"

Professor Oak pulled Delia back down into his arms and began stroking her hair. "Delia, Pikachu is sick. Very sick."

Delia bolted upright. "Pikachu! What's wrong with Pikachu?"

"Delia, please sit back down." He gently tugged her arm and drew her close to him. "Delia, Pikachu has a very serious heart condition. I just found out about it earlier, and I'm still trying to deal with the news myself."

"A heart condition?" Delia gasped. "But Pikachu's always been so lively. Matter of fact, I had to yell at him the other day because he kept racing through my garden and ruining my flowers."

"I know. But this happened suddenly…on Ash's way to Hoenn."

"Oh, Ash…does he know yet?"

"No. That's what's been on my mind all day…how to tell Ash that Pikachu is dying."

"Dying!" Delia cried in disbelief. "Pikachu is _dying_?"

"Yes, Delia. He is," Professor Oak replied, giving her a comforting hug.

"I…oh no…poor little Pikachu." Delia began to cry. "Isn't there anything you can do for him?"

"Unfortunately, no," Professor Oak said as he began stroking Delia's hair comfortingly. "With this condition, there's really nothing anyone can do."

"Oh…oh no…poor Ash." Delia buried her face in her friend's neck and began sobbing. "My poor baby. He's going to be so heartbroken. Poor little Pikachu."

"I know, Delia. I know," Professor Oak said, kissing the top of her head. "I'm sad too. I've always been fond of Pikachu. He and Ash have a special bond. And that's what's going to make this so difficult, having to tell Ash that his favorite Pokémon is going to die soon."

"How soon?" Delia sniffled.

"If Pikachu takes it easy and doesn't overexert himself, maybe a couple of months. With this condition, any excessive stress or strenuous physical activity could be fatal."

"So Pikachu's going to be an invalid from now on?"

"Well, that's going to be up to Pikachu and Ash."

"What do you mean, Sam?"

"Delia, Pikachu and Ash love to battle more than anything. And I'm not certain that Pikachu would be happy spending its last days lying around and doing nothing."

"But…but you just said that Pikachu will die if he overexerts himself."

"True. But perhaps Pikachu would be happier going that way, even if it meant a shorter life. But that's not my decision to make. That's something that Ash and Pikachu will have to decide on their own."

"My poor baby. Poor Pikachu. I wish there was something I could do to help them," Delia sighed sadly.

"Just be there for them, Delia. Just like you're here for me," Professor Oak sighed contentedly, pressing her head against his heart.

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4

Ash awoke the next morning to discover that he was lying in bed next to Pikachu, who was still sleeping peacefully. For a moment, he didn't recognize where he was, but then a tall, heavyset, bearded young man wearing shorts and a lab coat stuck his head inside the doorway.

"Morning, Ash," Professor Birch said softly, not wanting to awaken Pikachu. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess," Ash said, massaging the crick in his neck from where he had fallen asleep slumped over on the bed earlier.

"Your arm okay?" Professor Birch asked, drawing closer to the bed and examining the readout on the monitor that was still hooked up to Pikachu.

"Yeah, it's fine," replied Ash. "How's Pikachu doing, Professor Birch?"

Professor Birch stared at the monitor and frowned in reply. He had been hoping that a long rest would cause some improvement in Pikachu's condition, but it hadn't.

Ash noticed the expression on Professor Birch's face. "What's wrong, Professor? Is Pikachu okay?"

"Better let Pikachu rest some more today, Ash," Professor Birch said, lightly stroking the sleeping Pokémon's pointed ears. "Want some breakfast?"

Ash's stomach growled in reply. "Yeah, Professor Birch. I'm starved."

"I've got scrambled eggs, pancakes, muffins, cereal, waffles, fruit, bacon, sausage, and toast," Professor Birch said as Ash followed him down the hallway to the kitchen. "You don't get to be a big guy like me unless you eat a hearty breakfast every morning."

As Ash proceeded to devour most of the items on the breakfast table, the videophone rang. Professor Birch got up from the table, disappeared down the hallway, then returned a moment later with a solemn expression on his face.

"Ash, Professor Oak's on the phone. He wants to talk to you."

"Professor Oak? Wonder what he wants to talk to me about?" Ash stuffed the rest of his blueberry muffin in his mouth and headed down the hallway. Professor Birch sat back down at the kitchen table and picked listlessly at his scrambled eggs. There were few things in the world that would cause him to lose his appetite – and a dying Pokémon was one of them.

"Hi, Professor Oak," Ash said cheerfully. "Pikachu and I made it to Hoenn!"

"Yes, I can see that," Professor Oak said, smiling slightly.

"Professor Birch is really great," Ash continued. "He's really cool for a professor." Realizing what he had just said, Ash's face turned bright red. "Uh…I didn't mean that _you_ weren't cool, Professor Oak."

"Never mind, Ash. I know what you meant. Honestly, with legs like mine, I don't think I'd look too good running around in a pair of shorts and sandals either," Professor Oak said.

"So what did you call for, Professor Oak?" Ash asked curiously.

Professor Oak's smile faded. "Ash, how's Pikachu doing?"

"He's still asleep. Professor Birch said that's normal after getting anesthesia – you sleep a lot."

"Ash, Professor Birch told me what happened to Pikachu yesterday, and I'd like to talk to you about it. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Yeah, I just finished breakfast," Ash said, plopping down in Professor Birch's oversized chair.

Professor Oak took a deep breath. This conversation wasn't going to be easy for either one of them. "Ash, when Pikachu got caught in that magnetic field, Professor Birch was concerned that there might have been some damage to Pikachu's system."

"Oh, you mean like when Pikachu was acting really wild yesterday and bit me? Yeah, but he's okay now – it wasn't his fault. Professor Birch helped Pikachu get rid of all that extra electricity."

"Yes, I know he did. But Ash, Professor Birch was concerned that the magnetic field was so powerful that it might've damaged Pikachu's electrical regulatory system even after all the excess electricity was discharged. That's why he called me yesterday."

"Professor Birch called you yesterday? He didn't tell me that."

"You were asleep then. I told him not to wake you. Both you and Pikachu looked pretty tired."

"Yeah, but I'm ready to go now," Ash smiled, adjusting the baseball cap on his head. "As soon as Pikachu wakes up, we're on our way to Petalburg Gym and our first Hoenn gym badge!"

"Ash, that's what I need to talk to you about. You can't go to Petalburg Gym."

Ash was puzzled. "What are you talking about, Professor Oak?"

"Ash, the reason Professor Birch called me yesterday was because he was concerned that Pikachu might have a problem with its heart as a result of the magnetic field."

"Huh? Pikachu's heart? What are you talking about, Professor Oak?"

"Ash, Professor Birch and I talked, and I consulted with some of my other colleagues and did some research on my own. And we all came to the same conclusion."

"What? I still don't understand what you're talking about, Professor Oak."

"Ash…son, Pikachu is sick. Very sick."

"Sick?" Ash looked bewildered. "But…Professor Birch said that he got all of the extra electricity out of Pikachu's system!"

"He did, Ash. But that's not the problem. The problem is that the damage to Pikachu's system has already been done."

"Damage? What kind of damage are you talking about, Professor Oak? Pikachu looks fine."

"The damage isn't on the outside, Ash. It's on the inside. Specifically, the part of the system that regulates heartbeat."

"Heart…? Professor Oak, are you saying that that magnet messed up Pikachu's heart?"

"Yes, Ash. Professor Birch noticed it yesterday when he was examining Pikachu and called to ask me about it."

"But…but…can't you or Professor Birch do something about it? Can't you give Pikachu some medicine or something to make him get better?"

"I wish we could, Ash. But this type of injury doesn't respond well to medication."

"Then can't you do some kind of surgery instead? Can you fix Pikachu's heart that way?"

"Ash, it doesn't work that way. The only treatment for this type of condition is to install a pacemaker, but…"

"I don't care how much it costs, Professor Oak!" Ash interrupted, misinterpreting Professor Oak's reticence. "I'll do _anything_ to save Pikachu's life! Anything!"

"Ash, that's not it. Yes, a pacemaker would normally work in other Pokémon, but the problem is that Pikachu is an electric-type Pokémon. The electricity that normally flows through Pikachu's body would constantly be shorting out the pacemaker, not to mention what would happen with one good Thunderbolt. The pacemaker would never work properly."

Ash's voice began to quaver. "What…what are you saying, Professor Oak?"

"Ash, what I'm trying to say is that there's nothing Professor Birch or I or anyone else can do."

"Professor…are you saying that Pikachu is gonna…he's gonna…?" Ash's eyes began to fill with tears.

Professor Oak nodded. "I'm sorry, Ash. So sorry."

Ash looked so stricken that Professor Oak wished that the boy had someone there to comfort him. But Misty and Brock were both back in Cerulean City and Pewter City respectively. Ash had no one in Hoenn to help him deal with his upcoming loss.

"Ash, Pikachu's condition isn't painful," Professor Oak continued, trying to provide some reassurance to the distraught boy. "As long as Pikachu gets plenty of rest and avoids any extreme physical or emotional exertion, he should do all right for awhile."

"How long, Professor?" was the almost inaudible reply.

"As long as Pikachu avoids any strenuous physical activity, maybe a couple of months."

"A couple of…" Ash bit his lip in an effort to stave off more tears.

"Ash, even though I know this is hard for you to hear, you need to understand that in Pikachu's condition, any type of physical exertion, such as battling, could be harmful…or fatal."

"Fatal…? Are you saying that Pikachu can never battle again, Professor?"

"That's a decision that you and Pikachu will have to make on your own, Ash. I know that you and Pikachu love battling other Pokémon…"

"More than anything in the world," Ash finished.

"So you have to decide if Pikachu would be happier spending its last days either resting or doing what it loves best, even though it might mean shortening its life in the process."

"So…what you're saying, Professor Oak, is that if Pikachu rests all the time he'll live longer."

"Yes."

"But you're also saying that Pikachu might not be happy if I don't ever let him battle again," Ash sniffled, brushing away a tear.

"That's something you need to decide, Ash. You're Pikachu's trainer. You know Pikachu better than anyone else. You know what's best for him."

"But if I do let Pikachu keep on battling, then you're saying that he could…he would…" Ash couldn't bring himself to say the word "die".

"Yes."

"Will…is it gonna hurt Pikachu…when…?" Ash was biting his lip so hard that he was starting to draw blood.

"No. It'll be very sudden," Professor Oak replied gently. "Pikachu won't suffer."

With that thought, Ash couldn't fight back the tears any longer.

"I…thanksProfessorOakgottago…" With a sob, Ash threw down the phone receiver and raced back to the room where his Pokémon was just waking up.

"Pika?" the confused Pokémon said softly at the sight of its trainer's tear-stained face.

"Oh, Pikachu…oh, Pikachu…" Ash sobbed into the soft yellow fur on his Pokémon's back.

"Pika." Pikachu laid its paw atop Ash's hand, trying to comfort its upset trainer.

But the tender gesture made Ash cry even harder. "Oh, Pikachu…"

Professor Birch, who had been in the kitchen cleaning up the breakfast dishes, overheard Ash's sobbing. Figuring the boy needed some time alone to deal with his grief, he quietly shut the door to the recovery room. With a heavy heart, he headed back to his laboratory where he discovered that Professor Oak was still on the phone.

"I see you told him," Professor Birch said, picking up the receiver.

"Is Ash all right, Noah?" a worried Professor Oak asked.

"Yeah, but he's pretty broken up about it. I left the two of them alone," he said, gesturing in the direction of the door across the hallway.

"Be sure to let him know that if he needs to talk about this, he can call me anytime - day or night."

"I'll tell him, Professor Oak. It's a damn shame - something like this happening to a young, healthy Pokémon. Ash was telling me about all the battles he and Pikachu had won over breakfast. I'll tell you one thing – if I ever get my hands on the bastards that did this…" Professor Birch said angrily, slamming his fist against the videophone's control panel. The impact caused the video screen to go black, ending their conversation in the process.

On the other end of the line, Professor Oak jumped. His former student had been a wrestler in high school and college, and he almost felt sorry for the poor bastard whose throat Professor Birch wanted to wrap his massive hands around.

But then again, part of him wanted to do the very same thing.

_To be continued…_


	5. Chapter 5

"But I thought you were coming with me on my Pokémon journey!" cried a brown-haired girl outside Professor Birch's lab.

"No, May. I'm heading back to Pallet Town," replied Ash, gathering up his backpack.

"But I thought you and I were going to travel together!" the girl protested once more. "Not to mention that you owe me a new bike." She gestured in the direction of a mangled piece of metal that Pikachu had inadvertently destroyed with a Thunderbolt attack.

"Look, May, I told ya' already…Pikachu's real sick, so there's no point in us staying here in Hoenn. Besides, you and Torchic will be okay," Ash said, nodding in the direction of the small orange firebird Pokémon that was nuzzling the girl's leg. "It looks like a strong Pokémon. And as far as your bike…" Ash reached inside his backpack, brought out a crumpled-up envelope, and handed it to her.

"What's this?" May said curiously.

"A long time ago, Pikachu and I destroyed another girl's bike," Ash explained. "Since then, I've been saving up the money to get her a new one. But then she got her old bike back because the Nurse Joy in Viridian City had fixed it, so you take the money instead, May."

She opened the envelope and discovered a large number of wadded-up dollar bills inside.

"Wow. Thanks, Ash."

Ash gathered up Pikachu and gently placed him on his usual spot on his right shoulder.

"Good luck, May. You too, Torchic. Maybe I'll see you again someday."

"Take care, Ash. You too, Pikachu," May replied with a sad smile.

She and Torchic watched as Ash and Pikachu disappeared down the path leading back to the harbor, then gathered up her backpack.

"Come on Torchic. Let's see where our path together leads."

-

On his way back to the harbor, Ash made certain that he didn't walk too fast, fearing that any sudden jostling might prove harmful to Pikachu. As soon as the harbor came into view, a blond-haired teenage boy with a gray, doglike Pokémon approached the pair.

"Hey, kid…is that a Pikachu?" the boy asked curiously, pointing to the Pokémon that was perched on Ash's shoulder. Ash nodded in reply. "We don't see many of those here in Hoenn. Wanna have a battle? Me and Poochyena are always looking for new Pokémon to battle." The older boy nodded in the direction of the Pokémon sitting by his side, who appeared to be either a dog or a small, dark wolf.

Ash replied without even thinking. "You bet! Come on, Pikachu, let's show him what we're made of!"

The Pokémon leapt off of Ash's shoulder, ready to face its opponent. But as sparks started flying from Pikachu's cheeks in preparation for a Thundershock attack, Ash suddenly remembered Professor Oak's warning.

_In Pikachu's condition, any type of physical exertion, such as battling, could be harmful…or fatal._

"What am I doing?" Ash gasped in horror as he realized what he had almost done. "Pikachu, stop! Stop right now!"

"Pika?" the Pokémon said, confused.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Ash's opponent said as the younger boy quickly scooped up his Pokémon.

"Forget it. We're not battling you," Ash said, replacing his Pokémon on his shoulder.

"Why, are you scared?" the older boy taunted. "Afraid that my Poochyena's gonna kick your little mouse's chubby butt?"

It took all of Ash's strength to keep him from striking the older boy. But the fact was that Pikachu couldn't battle, and the rest of Ash's Pokémon were back in Pallet Town at Professor Oak's. Ash had no choice but to walk away.

"Chicken!" the older boy called out as Ash turned and started walking in the opposite direction. "Come on, Poochyena. Let's go find a Pokémon trainer who isn't a coward."

As soon as the older boy was out of sight, Ash took off his baseball cap and flung it to the ground.

"That jerk! That stupid jerk!" Ash shouted, his eyes tearing up with rage and humiliation.

"Pika?" _("What's wrong?")_

"Oh, Pikachu…it's not your fault," Ash said, giving his worried-looking Pokémon a hug. "It's just that…" But Ash had already decided not to tell Pikachu the truth about its condition, fearing that the news might be too upsetting for it to handle, not to mention that the shock might prove fatal. "…that Professor Birch said that you were still weak and you needed to rest more. (Which wasn't a complete lie – Professor Birch had said that Pikachu needed to rest as much as possible.) Ash picked up his baseball cap, dusted it off, and replaced it on his head. "C'mon, Pikachu. Let's get going."

And on the way back to Pallet Town, Ash had to endure the same scenario several times more. Trainers would challenge him and Pikachu to a battle, and every time Ash would have to walk away, enduring taunts as he did so. The insults didn't hurt as much as not being able to battle. After all, Ash was a Pokémon trainer and had been dreaming of becoming a Pokémon Master for as long as he could remember. Battling was his life, his greatest joy, his reason for living. And now…

"You wish you could battle too, huh, Pikachu?" Ash said, noticing the equally glum expression on his Pokémon's face. "You love to battle as much as I do, don't you?"

"Pika," the Pokémon nodded.

"Yeah, we've had some great battles together, haven't we?" Ash smiled, scratching his friend's furry head. "The Indigo League Championship…the Orange Islands Cup…the Silver Convention…saving the world from that collector guy…We've had some great adventures, haven't we, ol' buddy?"

"Pikachu," the Pokémon replied, nuzzling Ash's palm.

"You've always been there for me, Pikachu," Ash said, hugging his Pokémon tightly. "And I'm never gonna forget everything you've done for me."

The Pokémon lifted its paw and gently dabbed at the tear that was making its way down its trainer's cheek. "Pika?" _("Why are you crying?")_

"Oh, Pikachu…what am I gonna do without you?" Ash sobbed into the fur on Pikachu's back.

_To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6

Back in Pallet Town, Delia was busy with her morning housecleaning when a knock at the door interrupted her dusting.

"Mimie, would you…?" She then saw that her Pokémon was busy with the vacuuming, so she decided to answer the door herself. Delia gasped at the sight of her son and his Pokémon standing on her front doorstep.

"Hi, Mom," Ash smiled slightly. "Pikachu and I decided to come back to Pallet for a little while. We kinda missed your cooking."

"Oh…oh, Ash…my poor baby." Delia's eyes filled with tears as she embraced her son. "Oh, Pikachu…you poor little thing," Delia's voiced trembled as she very gently lifted the Pokémon off of her son's shoulder, afraid she would kill the poor creature if she were too rough. With tears streaming down her face, she carefully hugged the Pokémon as if it were made of glass, then carried it over to the sofa and gently placed it atop the softest pillow in the house.

"Pika?" the Pokémon said in confusion as Delia covered it with a blanket.

Ash watched the entire scene in disbelief. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"Shh, Ash," Delia admonished her son. "Pikachu needs to rest. He's had a long, tiring journey and the last thing in the world he needs right now is any additional stress."

Ash then understood what was going on. "Professor Oak told you about Pikachu, didn't he?"

Delia nodded. "Matter of fact, let's take Pikachu upstairs. I think he'll be more comfortable in your bed – the mattress is much softer than the couch. And it'll be quieter upstairs too." She carefully lifted the puzzled-looking Pokémon and carried it upstairs, making sure not to jostle it even once.

"There, Pikachu," Delia smiled as soon as she had tucked the Pokémon into the bottom bunk of Ash's bed. "Now you just lie there quietly and get some rest. Do you need anything?"

"Well, Pikachu and I could both use something to eat," Ash answered. "Do you have any Poké Chow?"

"Poké Chow? I'm not sure if Pikachu should be eating that in his condition. Maybe I should call Sam…Professor Oak and see if that's okay," Delia said, heading for the videophone downstairs.

"Mom, Pikachu eats Poké Chow all the time. He ate it at Professor Birch's lab," Ash called down after her.

"Yes, but given the circumstances, maybe Pikachu needs a special diet. I'll give Professor Oak a call right now and ask him about it."

Ash sighed and sat down on the bed next to his confused-looking Pokémon.

"Pika? Pikachu?" _("Why do I have to rest now? And why is your mom acting so strange?")_

Ash began stroking Pikachu's ears and then caught sight of the windmill lazily spinning atop the hill outside his window.

"C'mon, Pikachu," Ash said, gathering up his Pokémon. "Let's go see Professor Oak ourselves."

-

"Hello, Ash," Professor Oak smiled slightly as the boy and his Pokémon came into the lab. "I just got off the phone with your mother. I must admit I was rather surprised to find out that you weren't in Hoenn anymore."

"I didn't see the point in staying there with everything that's gone on," Ash replied. "Besides, I thought Pikachu might be happier here…ya' know what I mean?"

"I do, Ash," Professor Oak said, reaching out and scratching the Pokémon's pointy ears affectionately. "How are you feeling, Pikachu?"

"Pika," the Pokémon sighed happily, shutting its eyes in pleasure at Professor Oak's touch.

"Don't worry. I told Deli…your mother what Pikachu could and couldn't have," Professor Oak told the boy. "And it's perfectly all right for Pikachu to have Poké Chow or ketchup or whatever he wants. Whatever makes Pikachu happy."

"That's good," Ash said, gently setting Pikachu down on Professor Oak's desk. "Maybe that way Mom won't worry so much." Ash reached inside the pocket of his jacket, pulled out a handful of Poké Chow nuggets, and handed them to Pikachu, who began to nibble them eagerly. "Professor, could you take a look at Pikachu? See if maybe there's anything you can do to help him? Please?"

Even though Professor Oak knew that there really wasn't anything he could do for Pikachu, he didn't have the heart to turn down Ash's request.

"Of course, Ash. I'll go get my stethoscope." As Professor Oak disappeared into the adjacent Pokémon examination room in search of his medical instruments, the videophone rang.

"Hey, Professor…should I get that?" Ash called out.

"If you would, please, Ash," Professor Oak called back. "Muk's been playing back here again and knocked over a few things. It'll be a couple of minutes."

Ash picked up the receiver, and his eyes widened when he saw who the caller was.

"Misty?"

The girl was equally stunned to see who was on the other end of the line. "Ash? Is that you?"

"Yeah, Misty. It's me."

"What are you doing at Professor Oak's?" the surprised girl asked. "How come you're not in Hoenn?"

"I…it's kind of a long story, Misty," Ash said, glancing down at Pikachu.

Misty broke into a grin. "Well, I'm sure glad to see you. Are you going to be staying in Pallet for a while?"

"Dunno. Probably a while," Ash replied, feeding Pikachu another nugget of Poké Chow.

"I have so much to tell you," Misty said eagerly. "Stay put there for a while. I was planning on bringing Togepi over for a play date with Phanpy. I'll close down the Cerulean City Gym for the afternoon and come over. I'll take my bike," Misty said with a wink. "See you later."

"Who was that, Ash?" Professor Oak asked as he came back into the room.

"Misty," Ash replied. "She said she was bringing over Togepi to play with Phanpy."

"Toge…? Oh yes, I forgot all about it." Professor Oak reached inside the pocket of his lab coat and brought out his stethoscope. "Come here, Pikachu. Let's have a listen and see what's going on with you."

Ash watched anxiously as Professor Oak listened carefully to the Pokémon's heart.

"How does Pikachu's heart sound, Professor Oak?" Ash asked, hoping that perhaps Pikachu's condition would've improved upon their return to Pallet.

"I wish I had good news for you, Ash," Professor Oak said with a sigh, removing the stethoscope's earpieces. "But I don't."

"Oh." Ash's face fell.

"Why don't you take Pikachu outside and let him visit with all his old friends?" Professor Oak suggested, handing Pikachu back to Ash. "I think he might like that. And I know that Pikachu will be happy to see Misty and Togepi again when they get here. And Tracey's outside feeding the Pokémon – he'll like to visit with Pikachu too."

"Oh…okay," Ash said dejectedly. He had been hoping that Professor Oak was going to tell him that Pikachu was all better, that Professor Birch had been wrong, that he had discovered a miraculous cure for Pikachu's ailment, that Pikachu wasn't really dying after all.

"And I think you might benefit from visiting with your old friends too, Ash," Professor Oak said. "When Misty gets here, I'll send her in your direction."

"Thanks, Professor," Ash said with a disappointed sigh. "Come on, Pikachu. Let's go outside."

-

Ash sat in the shade of a huge maple tree and watched as Pikachu chatted with its old friend Bulbasaur, who was now the overseer of the Oak Pokémon Preserve.

"Bulba?" _("And Ash told you to stop the battle?")_ the Pokémon said incredulously.

"Pikachu. Pi-pika-pi." _("Yeah. Everyone's been acting really weird lately.")_

"Bulba? Bulbasaur?" _("Weird? What do you mean?")_

"Pika-pikachu. Pika-pi. Pika. Pikachu." _("Ash has been crying a lot. He's really sad about something. Ash's mom is sad too. Even Professor Oak seemed like something was bothering him.")_

"Bulbasaur?" _("Wonder what's going on?")_

"Pikachu. Pi…" _("I don't know. But…")_ The Pokémon stopped, sniffed the air for a moment, and went dashing off in the other direction.

"Hey, Pikachu, slow down!" Ash cried in alarm as the Pokémon sped past him. "It's not good for…"

"Hello, Pikachu!" a female voice cried happily.

Ash turned around and saw Misty standing behind him. The girl knelt down and gave Pikachu, who was looking up at her with a big smile on its face, a hug.

"Oh, I missed you so much, Pikachu," Misty said cheerfully. "And Togepi did too!" The little egg-like Pokémon in Misty's arms chirruped happily in agreement. "And I missed you too, Ash."

"Hi, Mist," Ash smiled slightly. "How's your bike working now?"

"Great," the girl replied, leaning it against a nearby tree. "The person Nurse Joy had repair it did a great job."

"That's good," Ash replied in a voice that indicated that wasn't how he felt.

Misty's smile faded, and she put Togepi down on the ground next to Pikachu. "Togepi, go play with Pikachu and Bulbasaur for a little while, then we'll go find Phanpy."

"Prii," the baby Pokémon replied, toddling off in the direction of the two older Pokémon.

"Ash, is something wrong?" Misty asked, concerned, as she sat down next to him.

"What makes you think something's wrong, Misty?" Ash replied unconvincingly.

"Because I've known you for a long time, and I know when something's bothering you," Misty replied. "I was kind of worried when you came back from Hoenn so suddenly. Why did you come back?"

"Pikachu's dying, Misty," Ash replied quietly.

"Dying?" Misty gasped in disbelief. "What are you talking about, Ash?"

"Not so loud, Misty!" Ash hissed. "I don't want to scare Pikachu."

"Scare Pika…? Ash, you'd better tell me what's going on right now," Misty demanded, although in a quieter voice than before.

"It's all Team Rocket's fault," Ash said angrily, picking up a pebble and flinging it savagely into a nearby puddle. "Them and their stupid magnet. They tried to trap Pikachu in a magnetic field and messed up his body's electrical system."

"Electrical system?" Misty glanced over at where the three Pokémon were happily playing a game of hide-and-seek. "But Pikachu looks okay to me."

"It's not on the outside, Misty. It's on the inside. That magnet messed up Pikachu's heart so that it's not beating right. And Professor Birch – he's the professor in Littleroot Town – couldn't fix it. And Professor Oak can't, either."

"They can't?" Misty echoed in disbelief.

"No. Professor Oak said that the only thing that'd work is a pacemaker, but he said that the electricity in Pikachu's body would mess it up. There's nothing anyone can do, Mist."

"I…I can't believe it," Misty said, stunned by her friend's sobering news. "Did…did Professor Oak say how long Pikachu was going to…?"

"Couple of months, as long as Pikachu takes it easy. That's why I didn't tell him."

"You didn't tell him?" Misty exclaimed. "Ash, Pikachu has a right to know what's going on!"

"It's not that easy, Misty. Professor Oak said that emotional shock – like finding out that you're gonna die soon – could also cause Pikachu to…to…" Ash's voice began to quaver. "That's why you've gotta promise me that you won't say anything to Pikachu, Misty. I want him to enjoy the time he's got left."

"I won't say anything, Ash," Misty said, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Mist, what am I gonna do?" Ash's eyes began to fill with tears. "What am I gonna do without Pikachu, Misty? He's my best friend. I don't want him to…to…"

Misty gently took Ash into her arms, and the boy started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh, Misty…what am I gonna do?" Ash wept into the warmth of the girl's neck. "What am I gonna do?"

"Shh, Ash. It's okay," Misty said reassuringly as she hugged him closer and began stroking his back. "Just cry. Just go ahead and cry."

And then her tears started too.

_To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Togepi, who had grown tired of hide-and-seek, had wandered away from its hiding place in search of its friend Phanpy. The little Pokémon toddled up a rocky path leading to the edge of a cliff that formed part of the border of the fire Pokémon section of the preserve. The curious Pokémon leaned over the edge of the cliff to get a better look at what was below, lost its footing on a loose rock, and tumbled down the rocky face of the cliff. It landed with a thump at the bottom of the cliff, miraculously unhurt except for a bruise on its bottom where it had landed.

The Pokémon looked around curiously, wondering where it was. "Togi?"

Not getting a response, the tiny Pokémon grew frightened and began crying for its mommy. "Togiiiiii!"

Unfortunately, the Pokémon's cries also attracted the attention of a pack of Houndoom that had claimed this part of the preserve as their territory. Ready to do battle with the interloper, the four, savage, doglike Pokémon emerged from the shadows and started to advance menacingly on the helpless Togepi.

-

"Feel better now, Ash?" Misty asked as soon as Ash's tears had stopped.

"Think so," Ash said, wiping his nose on the back of his shirtsleeve. "Thanks for listening, Mist. You're a good friend."

"I'll always be here for you, Ash. Don't ever forget that," Misty said, embracing him once more.

"I love…hey, where's Pikachu?" Ash looked around wildly. "And Bulbasaur? Where'd they go?"

"Where's Togepi?" Misty scrambled to her feet. "Togepi! Togepi, where are you?"

While Misty and Ash had been sharing their grief, Pikachu and Bulbasaur had gone off in search of Togepi.

"Pikachu?" _("Where could Togepi be, Bulbasaur?")_ the Pokémon asked, peering behind a clump of bushes.

"Bulbasaur," _("Let's try over there.")_ the other Pokémon replied, nodding in the direction of a rocky uphill path.

As Pikachu and Bulbasaur started up the hill, it was then that they heard the sound of growling.

"Pika?" _("What's that, Bulbasaur?")_

"Bulbasaur! Bulba-bulba!" _("Sounds like trouble! Let's go!")_

The two Pokémon raced up the path until they reached the edge of the cliff where they, to their horror, saw Togepi surrounded by four Houndoom closing in for the kill.

"Pika! Pikachu!" _("Bulbasaur, go get Ash and Misty! I'll try to stop the Houndoom!")_ Pikachu started scrambling down the side of the cliff as fast as it could.

"Bulbasaur!" _("Right!")_ The Pokémon began running in the opposite direction.

-

"Togepi!"

"Pikachu!"

"Oh, Ash…where could they be?" Misty said worriedly as the pair wandered around the grounds of the preserve in search of their Pokémon.

"I just hope that Pikachu's not…" Ash whirled around as Bulbasaur came flying down the path towards them at top speed. "Bulbasaur! Where are Pikachu and Togepi?"

"Bulbasaur! Bulba!" _("Togepi's in trouble! Follow me!")_

The two teens raced off after Bulbasaur, who led them to the edge of a steep cliff.

"Bulba!" _("Down there!")_

Misty and Ash both gasped in horror at the sight of Pikachu, fur bristling and growling, standing between a terrified Togepi and the four huge Houndoom.

"Pikachu, no!" Ash screamed, leaping over the edge of the cliff.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Misty shouted as Ash tumbled down the face of the cliff and landed next to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, stop! Don't use your Thundershock attack!" Ash shouted as he scrambled to his feet, terrified at what the outcome would be.

"Pika?"

"Don't attack! Don't even move!" Ash ordered, fearful that the physical stress of facing off with the Houndoom would prove fatal to Pikachu. "Stay there!" Ash scooped up Togepi in his arms and quickly scrambled up the rocky face of the cliff.

Seeing that their prey was escaping, the largest Houndoom charged, knocking Pikachu to the ground.

"Ash, look out!" Misty screamed.

The Houndoom leapt for Ash's leg and seized the cuff of his jeans, trying to pull the boy and Togepi back down to the ground.

"Stop it, Houndoom!" Ash yelled, trying to shake off the attacking dog. "Let go!"

A hard shake sent the dog crashing back down to the ground, and Ash continued his perilous ascent up the face of the cliff. A second Houndoom joined in the attack and leapt at Ash's retreating form.

"Let go!" Ash cried out as the dog seized his other leg. "Misty! Grab Togepi!" Ash stretched out his right arm as high as he could, holding Togepi up to her.

"I can't, Ash! My arm's not long enough!" Misty cried as she bent down and tried to reach her frightened Pokémon.

"Bulbasaur!" A long pair of vines shot out from the grass Pokémon's back and seized the frightened Togepi.

"All right, Bulbasaur! Good…hey, stop it! Leggo!" The first Houndoom had recovered and had joined the second one in its attack on Ash, who now had a Houndoom dangling from each leg. The extra weight of the pair of dogs caused Ash to lose his grip on the crumbling rock.

"Ash!" Misty shrieked in horror as Ash fell backwards and landed with a thud on the floor of the canyon. The force of the landing momentarily stunned the boy, knocking the wind out of him. The two attacking Houndoom, furious that Ash had denied them their prey, got to their feet and began advancing on the boy, who lay gasping for air helplessly. The two Houndoom that had been guarding Pikachu turned and joined their companions.

As the sky overhead swayed dizzily, Ash, who was still seeing stars from the blow to his head, tried to call out to Pikachu for help, but nothing came out – Ash couldn't cry out at all. As he felt the hot breath of the Houndoom just inches away from his face, Ash tried desperately to catch his breath so he could leap up and run away, but he was so dazed and nauseated that he couldn't even move.

_This is it_, the terrified boy thought as he shut his eyes, knowing that in a moment the Houndoom would rip him to shreds.

But then suddenly there was a huge flash, followed by a deafening crackle of electricity.

"PI-KA-CHUUUUUU!"

The flash was so bright that it could be seen for over a mile away. The flash and loud boom that followed it attracted the attention of Tracey, who was at the stables grooming one of the new Ponyta.

"Stay here, Ponyta," the boy ordered, dropping his grooming brush. He leapt over the fence surrounding the paddock and raced off in the direction of the fire Pokémon preserve. Halfway up the path leading to the cliff, he collided with Bulbasaur, who was racing back to the lab to get help.

"Bulbasaur, what's happened?" Tracey gasped as he scrambled to his feet. "What's going on?"

"Bulba! Saur!" _("Hurry, Tracey! Follow me!")_

Tracey followed the Pokémon to the edge of the cliff overlooking the fire Pokémon preserve where he found Misty, who was clutching Togepi and crying.

"Misty? What's wrong? What's going on?" Tracey panted as he raced to her side and knelt down next to her.

"T-t-there…" she sobbed, pointing down.

Tracey peered over the edge of the cliff and was confronted by the sight of four Houndoom lying stunned at the bottom of the canyon. In the middle of the pack of the near-electrocuted Houndoom lay Ash, who was gasping and sobbing incoherently.

And lying next to Ash's arm was the motionless form of a small yellow Pokémon, who, in a last act of love for its trainer, had given its life to save Ash's.

_To be continued…_


	8. Chapter 8

"Sam, what's going on? What's happened to Pikachu?" a distraught Delia said as she came racing through the back door of the Oak house.

"Delia, calm down," Professor Oak said, gently taking her by the arm. "Let's go into the living room, and I'll explain everything."

"No, Sam! You said on the phone that something happened to Pikachu, and I want to know right now!" Delia demanded. "I ran over here as fast as I could…"

"And didn't let me finish explaining what had happened," Professor Oak finished, leading Delia into the living room. "Come over here and sit down."

But Delia knew what had happened by the look on her friend's face. "Pikachu's dead, isn't he?"

Professor Oak nodded slowly. "Yes, Delia. He is."

Delia began to cry. "Oh, no…the poor little thing! I…I thought you said that he had a couple of months left. What happened?"

Professor Oak sat down next to Delia on the couch and took her in his arms. "I got the story from Misty, although she's pretty broken up about it too. Apparently while she and Ash were out at the preserve, Togepi wandered away. Pikachu and Bulbasaur went looking for it and found it surrounded by a pack of Houndoom.

Delia gasped in horror. "Oh, no! Is Togepi all right?"

"Other than a couple of bruises, Togepi is fine," Professor Oak said. "Bulbasaur ran to get Ash and Misty while Pikachu kept the Houndoom away from Togepi. Ash managed to rescue Togepi before the Houndoom went after him."

"Went after…!" Delia bolted upright. "Ash! My baby…is Ash all right! Where is he?"

"Delia, calm down. Calm down," Professor Oak said reassuringly, pulling Delia gently back down on the sofa. "He's got a few bumps and bruises, but he's okay. Okay physically, anyway. He's in the lab with Pikachu."

"Pikachu…what happened to Pikachu?"

"When the Houndoom surrounded Ash, Pikachu attacked them with a Thunderbolt. A pretty incredible one too – Tracey said he saw the flash on the other side of the preserve. I even heard the explosion back here in the lab."

"I heard it too," Delia said. "I thought it was thunder."

"It was Pikachu sacrificing his own life to save Ash's," Professor Oak said as Delia leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Pikachu was a hero," Delia sniffled. "He died saving my little boy and Togepi."

"No greater love hath a man – or a Pikachu – than to lay down his life for a friend," Professor Oak quoted as he lightly kissed the top of Delia's head.

"I'm going to go find Ash," Delia said, wiping away her tears and rising to her feet. "He's going to need his mother to help him get through all this."

"Tracey and Misty are with him in the lab. They're both pretty broken up about Pikachu too," Professor Oak said as he led Delia down the hallway. "Misty especially, since she saw the whole thing."

"Oh, Ash," Delia gasped as she entered the lab.

Ash, his head bandaged, sat on the couch next to Professor Oak's desk. Cradled in his arms was the limp form of his beloved Pokémon. Ash was flanked on either side by both Tracey and Misty, who were both trying to comfort their friend. Misty in particular looked nearly as upset as Ash did.

"Oh, my poor baby," Delia said, kneeling down next to her son. "Are you okay, honey?"

"My head's okay. Professor Oak patched me up," Ash mumbled in reply as Delia lifted her hand to examine her son's injury. "But Pikachu…"

Delia lightly stroked the Pokémon's red cheek with her forefinger. "Oh, honey…I'm so sorry," Delia said as she embraced her son and started to cry. "My poor baby."

Ash, who had been trying hard to maintain a brave façade, felt his tears starting again. "Oh, Mom…"

Professor Oak motioned to Tracey, who stood up and went over to where his boss was standing.

"Tracey," he said softly, "can you please do something for me?"

"What, Professor?" Tracey whispered back.

"Go to the Pokémon cemetery on the south side of the preserve and pick out a nice resting place for Pikachu." He nodded in the direction of the shovel sitting in the far corner of the lab.

"Sure thing, Professor," Tracey replied. "I know just the spot – top of the hill, next to the Pokéberry where all the wildflowers grow. It's really peaceful there."

"Good lad. Off you go, then."

As Tracey disappeared with the shovel, Professor Oak thought he should have a word with Misty, who was sitting on the other side of the couch with her head bowed.

"Misty, can I get you and Togepi anything?" Professor Oak asked kindly. "Something to eat or drink, perhaps?"

Misty sniffled and looked down at her sad little Pokémon, who was upset because Pikachu wouldn't open his eyes and play with it. "I think Togepi's kind of hungry."

"Why don't we go get Togepi some Poké Chow?" Professor Oak suggested, extending a hand to help the girl up from the sofa. "Besides, I think Ash and his mother need some time alone right now." Misty nodded and followed Professor Oak into the adjacent room where he kept all the Pokémon food.

"Here you go, Togepi," Professor Oak said, handing the little Pokémon some brown pellets. "I think you'll like this flavor."

Misty sat her Pokémon down on the table in the middle of the room and watched as it began to devour the nuggets greedily. In all the confusion, Togepi had missed its lunchtime.

"Guess Togepi was pretty hungry," Professor Oak smiled. "Don't worry, Togepi. There's plenty more where that came from."

"Professor," Misty said softly, "do you think Pikachu suffered at all?"

"No, Misty," Professor Oak replied gently. "It was so sudden that I don't think Pikachu even knew what happened."

"That's…that's good," Misty replied with a catch in her voice. "Because…because…oh, Professor Oak! This is all _my_ fault!" The girl buried her face in her hands and started crying again. "What happened to Pikachu is all my fault!"

"Your fault? Misty, what makes you think that this was all your fault?" Professor Oak said, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Togepi!" Misty wailed. "I never should've let Togepi wander off! Then Ash wouldn't have gotten attacked by the Houndoom and then Pikachu wouldn't have…wouldn't have…" Misty broke down sobbing once more.

"Misty, shh. It's all right," Professor Oak said reassuringly. "None of this is your fault. If Ash hasn't told you already, Pikachu was dying. He didn't have much longer to live."

"I know," Misty choked.

"And as Deli…Mrs. Ketchum told me earlier, Pikachu died a hero's death. He willingly gave up his life for Ash's."

Misty shook her head. "No."

"No?" Professor Oak was confused. "What do you mean, Misty?"

"Pikachu didn't know he was dying, Professor Oak," Misty replied. "Ash didn't tell him. He was afraid that the shock would…would…" Misty broke down once more. "When he used his Thunderbolt to save Ash, he didn't know that it would…that he would…" The girl threw herself into Professor Oak's arms and began sobbing into his lab coat.

"Oh. Oh, Misty. Shh, it's all right." Professor Oak said reassuringly while the distraught girl cried. Once she had begun to calm down, Professor Oak lifted the girl's chin and looked her straight in the eye. "Misty, I want you to listen to me carefully. None of this was your fault. Even though Ash may not have told Pikachu that he was dying, Pokémon have a sixth sense about these matters. I believe that Pikachu knew that he was dying. Pikachu willingly chose to give up his life for Ash's, knowing what the outcome would be. And I think…no, I _know_ that Pikachu chose to die this way. He loved Ash so much that he gave up his life for him. And I can't think of a more noble death than that."

"Sam, can I…oh, Misty," Delia said as she came into the room and saw him trying to comfort the crying girl. "Oh, you poor girl. Come here." Misty gratefully fell into Delia's embrace.

"Is Ash doing any better?" Professor Oak asked her.

"He stopped crying," Delia said over the top of Misty's head. "There, there, Misty. It's all right…hush, sweetie."

Professor Oak left the pair alone and headed back to the lab where Ash sat with his Pokémon.

"Oh, Pikachu," Ash said, cuddling his Pokémon to him. "I'll never forget you, buddy."

"Ash."

The boy jumped at the sound of Professor Oak's voice. "Oh, Professor Oak…I didn't see you standing there." Ash quickly wiped away the tears that were smeared on his face.

"Ash, will you let me look after Pikachu for a while?" Professor Oak asked, stretching his hand towards the Pokémon's body.

Ash hugged his Pokémon even tighter. "I'm not letting Pikachu go," the boy replied firmly. "He never gave up on me, and I'm not giving up on him."

"I know that, Ash," Professor Oak said, seating himself next to the boy. "But you need to get something to eat and rest for a while. You've had a rough day."

"Mom already said the same thing," Ash replied. "And I'm staying here with Pikachu."

"All right. But would it be all right with you if I looked after Pikachu for a little while?" Professor Oak traced the outline of a smudge of dirt on Pikachu's right leg. "Clean him up? Brush him? Give him a bath?"

Reluctantly, Ash loosened his grip on his faithful Pokémon friend and handed him to Professor Oak. "Just make sure you don't use any of that girly-smelling shampoo like Misty uses."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him," Professor Oak replied, gently cradling the Pokémon's body in his arms. "I'll get him cleaned up and bring him right back. Meanwhile, why don't you and Misty go get something to eat? She and your mother are in the next room.

And as Professor Oak carried the Pokémon's body down the hallway to prepare it for burial, he could still overhear the weeping in the next room.

_To be continued…_


	9. Chapter 9

"There, honey," Delia said, placing a bowl of hot vegetable soup in front of her son. "This should help you feel better." She then handed bowls of soup to both Tracey and Misty, who were also seated at the table in the middle of the Oak kitchen. "All of you need to eat."

"I don't feel like eating, Mom," Ash replied listlessly, pushing his bowl away.

"Neither do I," said Misty quietly, staring down at her bowl of soup.

"I've kind of lost my appetite too, Mrs. Ketchum," said Tracey.

"You'll get sick if you don't eat," Delia insisted, pushing the bowl of soup towards her son.

"Your mom's right, Ash," said a familiar voice.

Ash, Misty, and Tracey looked up in surprise and saw a tanned, spiky-haired, teenage boy standing in the doorway.

"I came as soon as Professor Oak called me with the news," Brock explained as Misty leapt up and gave her friend a hug. "How are you doing, Ash?"

The younger boy shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, I guess."

"I couldn't believe it when Professor Oak told me about Pikachu," Brock continued, seating himself at the kitchen table. "I thought he had made a mistake."

"It wasn't a mistake, Brock," Professor Oak said as he came into the kitchen.

"Professor, where's Pikachu?" Ash asked anxiously, jumping to his feet.

"He's back in the lab," Professor Oak replied.

"Thanks, Professor," Ash said, brushing past him and heading down the hallway.

"Oh, Pikachu," Ash murmured softly at the sight of his Pokémon, who lay in a small wooden casket in the middle of the examination table in the center of the lab.

"I picked out the nicest casket I had for Pikachu," Professor Oak explained as he followed Ash into the lab.

"Wow. I don't think Pikachu's ever been this clean," Ash remarked while he lightly stroked the shining fur on the Pokémon's belly. "Most of the time the two of us are pretty dirty. Sometimes we'd go for days without finding a shower or a Pokémon Center."

"I followed your instructions and didn't use anything too 'girly'," Professor Oak said, picking up a green bottle. "I thought Pikachu would like an apple-flavored shampoo."

"Yeah, Pikachu always liked apples and ketchup and stuff like that," Ash said softly, lightly stroking his Pokémon's left front paw and noticing that Professor Oak had taken the time to pick every bit of grit out from between the Pokémon's toes.

"Oh, Ash," Professor Oak said as the boy's eyes began to fill with tears. He laid a sympathetic arm across the boy's shoulders.

"I gotta stop doing this," Ash said, quickly wiping his tears away.

"It's all right for you to cry, Ash," Professor Oak said kindly. "It shows how much you loved Pikachu."

"Yeah, but guys aren't supposed to cry," Ash sniffled.

"Brock cried when I told him about Pikachu," Professor Oak said.

"Yeah, but Brock cries whenever he gets dumped by a girl," Ash said. "Which is at least once every couple of days."

Professor Oak smiled slightly at Ash's comment. "Tracey told me that he cried when he was out at the cemetery picking out a spot for Pikachu. And even I shed a few tears when I was cleaning up Pikachu."

Ash turned to his mentor in surprise. "_You_ cried, Professor Oak? But you're…you're a _guy_!"

"I was fond of Pikachu too, Ash," Professor Oak said, gently stroking the Pokémon's belly.

"We all were," said Misty, who had just entered the lab with Brock and Tracey. At the sight of the little Pokémon lying peacefully in its casket, Misty began to cry once more.

"I have an idea," said Professor Oak. "Why don't we take Pikachu into the living room? I think everyone will be more comfortable in there." The small procession made its way down the hall into the living room where Professor Oak laid Pikachu's casket atop an antique end table on the opposite side of the couch.

"There. I think that's more appropriate," Professor Oak said, moving the table in front of the fireplace so everyone could see Pikachu when they first entered the room.

Misty picked up a small flower arrangement that was sitting atop the mantle and placed it at Pikachu's head. "There. That looks nice."

"It certainly does, Misty," Delia agreed as she came into the room. "Matter of fact, I think I'll go home right now and pick some more flowers for Pikachu from my garden. Ash, sweetie, why don't you come home now and…"

"I'm not leaving Pikachu, Mom," Ash declared, seating himself on the couch next to his Pokémon. "I wanna stay here tonight with Pikachu."

"But honey, you're tired. You need to get some sleep," Delia insisted. "Come home."

"Pikachu never left my side, so I'm not leaving his," Ash said firmly, shaking his head.

"It's all right, Delia," said Professor Oak. "Ash can stay here tonight."

"And we're going to stay right here with you," said Brock, seating himself next to Ash.

"We're not leaving you or Pikachu," said Misty, seating herself on Ash's opposite side.

"I'll go get some pillows and blankets for everyone," said Tracey, who headed upstairs.

"In that case, I'm staying here too, Sam," Delia said as the two made their way back to the kitchen. "Ash may need me during the night."

"Delia, I think Ash will be fine. His friends are going to stay here with…"

"I'm not leaving my son, Sam," Delia said stubbornly. "My little boy's hurting, and I'm not going to leave him."

"I wasn't asking you to leave, Delia," Professor Oak said, taking her into his arms. "Personally, I'd rather have you around tonight too."

"Speaking of which, I think I should sleep in the guest room tonight," Delia said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Just in case Ash comes looking for me in the middle of the night."

"That's probably a wise move. I don't think Ash would be able to deal with learning that the two of us normally share my room when you're over here," Professor Oak said, giving her a quick kiss. The two had been friends for years, but only recently had their relationship become more intimate.

There was a thump at the back door, and Professor Oak reluctantly parted from Delia's soft warmth to answer it. He opened the door and found a small, blue-green dinosaur Pokémon standing on the back porch.

"Hello, Bulbasaur. How's everyone taking the news?"

"Saur. Bulba. Bulbasaur." _("Pretty hard. I've asked Noctowl to go tell Pidgeot. He said that they would split up and go find Charizard and Squirtle.")_ As overseer of the preserve, Bulbasaur had spent most of the afternoon and evening telling the other Pokémon about Pikachu's death.

"Of all the Pokémon at the preserve, you were Pikachu's friend the longest." Professor Oak said, bending down to stroke the grass Pokémon's head. "How are you doing?"

"Bulba," _("All right.")_ the Pokémon replied sadly. "Bulbasaur." _("I still can't believe it.")_

"Neither can I," agreed Professor Oak with a sigh. "Anyway, please tell the other Pokémon that Pikachu's funeral will be late tomorrow afternoon. That way, everyone can pay their respects during the morning."

"Bulba." _("I will.")_ Even though the Pokémon wanted to stay to help console Ash, Bulbasaur had to go console Phanpy, Cyndaquil, and some of the other younger Pokémon.

"Everyone really loved Pikachu," Delia said, brushing away a tear.

"Let's get some sleep, Delia," Professor Oak said, closing the back door. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He took her by the hand and led her upstairs.

-

While the two adults slept, downstairs the four teens spent the night reminiscing about their adventures with Pikachu. What had started out as a vigil for the little Pokémon ended up becoming a wake.

"…and Pikachu was absolutely covered with ketchup from head to toe!"

Even Ash smiled at Tracey's retelling of a funny episode that had happened during their journey in the Orange Islands.

"Oh, man…it's late," Brock said as the grandfather clock in the hallway struck midnight. "We'd better get some sleep."

"Yeah," Misty yawned in agreement. "Let's unroll our sleeping bags."

"You don't have to do that, Misty," Tracey said, pulling the cushions off of the couch. "This sofa unfolds into a bed. You guys can sleep here. I'll crash on the loveseat."

"Misty, you or Brock can take the bed," Ash said, seating himself in the chair that sat next to the table with Pikachu's casket. "I'm gonna stay right here with Pikachu."

"Ash, you'll get a stiff neck if you sleep there," Misty admonished. "You take the bed."

Ash shook his head. "That's okay, Misty." He reached out and stroked his Pokémon's paw. "It's our last night together, so I'm gonna stay here with him."

"We all are," said Brock, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder. "And Misty's right. You won't be able to function tomorrow if you're exhausted. You take the bed." Reluctantly, Ash let Brock guide him to the bed in the middle of the room.

"That's it. Now you just lie there and rest," Misty said soothingly as she covered Ash with a blanket. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

"Good night, guys," Tracey said, turning out the lamp on the table next to the loveseat.

Ash didn't realize how exhausted he was until his head hit the pillow. In less than a minute, he was snoring softly.

"Good night, Ash," Misty whispered quietly as she kissed his cheek.

-

"C'mon, Pikachu…use your Thundershock," Ash mumbled to himself. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and Ash realized that he wasn't in the middle of the Orange League Championship battle. And then he saw Pikachu's casket illuminated by a moonbeam along the far wall.

_It was a dream_, Ash thought sadly. _It was all a dream._

Unconsciously, Ash reached for the spot next to his side where his faithful Pokémon normally slept.

"Oh, Pikachu," Ash whispered as the tears started to fall once more. Being careful not to wake his friends, Ash slipped out of bed and crept over to where his Pokémon lay.

"I'm right here, buddy," Ash said as he began stroking his Pokémon's ears.

"Ash?"

The boy jumped and whirled around in surprise to see Misty raise her head from the recliner where she was sleeping. "Ash, are you all right?"

Ash quickly sniffed back his tears. "Yeah, Mist. I'm okay," he replied unconvincingly.

Misty rose from her chair, stretched out her aching back, and silently tiptoed her way over to her grieving friend.

"I'm gonna make the creeps who did this to Pikachu pay," Ash whispered angrily, clutching the edge of Pikachu's coffin. "They killed him, Mist. They killed Pikachu."

Misty stifled a sob. "Oh, Ash…I wouldn't blame you if you hated me for the rest of your life!"

Ash gave her a bewildered look. "Huh? What are you talking about, Misty?"

"It's my fault," Misty wept. "If I had kept my eye on Togepi and not let it wander off, then Pikachu wouldn't be…wouldn't be…" Misty broke down sobbing.

"Misty, it's not your fault," Ash said, as he embraced her. "You didn't do this to Pikachu." The boy's voice hardened. "It was Team Rocket that did this. And if I get my hands on them, they're gonna pay for what they did."

"Ash, why would Team Rocket want to do this to Pikachu? They've always tried to capture him, but they've never tried to kill him before."

"Well, they did, Misty. And they'd better hope that I don't catch up with them. I never want to see those bastards again as long as I live because I might…I might…oh, Misty…" Tears of grief, anger, and frustration began rolling down Ash's face.

The pair remained in each other's arms for several minutes, both crying softly. Finally, an exhausted Ash allowed Misty to lead him back to his sofa bed. There, he sobbed into his pillow while Misty stroked his hair comfortingly. It wasn't until shortly before dawn that he finally fell asleep once more.

_To be continued…_


	10. Chapter 10

A couple of hours later, Delia quietly made her way downstairs to the living room. Lying on the floor snoring was Brock in his sleeping bag. Tracey was sprawled over one couch while Misty and Ash lay side by side on the sofa bed in the middle of the room. Misty's arm was wrapped protectively around Ash's waist, her face buried in the boy's dark, messy hair.

And then Delia understood why Ash hadn't sought her out last night. Figuring that her son and his friends needed their sleep, Delia left them alone and quietly headed down the hallway to the kitchen.

Professor Oak was awakened a few minutes later by a soft tapping on his bedroom door.

"Sorry to wake you, Sam," Delia said apologetically as a groggy-looking Professor Oak answered his door. "But I thought you might like a cup of hot tea." She held out a cup to him.

"Thanks, Delia. That's very thoughtful of you," Professor Oak replied, taking the cup from her. "Want to come in for a while?"

Delia stepped inside his bedroom and silently shut the door behind her.

"Everyone still asleep?" Professor Oak asked, taking a sip of his steaming Indigo Spice tea.

Delia nodded. "I figured they all needed their rest, so I left them alone."

"Did Ash come up to see you during the night?"

Delia shook her head sadly. "No. My little boy's growing up."

"What do you mean, Delia?"

"Oh, Sam, I knew this day would come someday," Delia sighed. "My little boy doesn't need me anymore."

"I don't understand, Delia."

"When I went downstairs, he and Misty were curled up together on the sofa bed," Delia explained.

"On the sofa bed? They weren't…uh…doing anything, were they?"

"No, they both had their clothes on…I checked. But maybe you should have a talk with Ash about…well, about _that_ sometime soon."

Professor Oak choked on his tea. "_Me_? Delia, you're Ash's mother. Shouldn't you...?"

Delia shook her head. "No. Ash needs to learn about becoming a man from another man. And you're the closest thing Ash has to a father nowadays."

"Well, all right," Professor Oak said hesitantly. "I'll have a talk with him about it sometime in the near future. Meanwhile, how are you doing, Delia? Did you sleep all right?"

"Not great," Delia yawned. "I spent most of the night thinking about how much my poor baby is hurting right now and wishing I could do something to make him feel better."

Professor Oak guided Delia to his bed. "Why don't you lie down and sleep for a little longer, Delia?"

"Aren't you coming back to bed too, Sam?" Delia asked as Professor Oak tucked her in.

"No. I have to take care of the Pokémon. I figured that Tracey would be too tired after staying up with Ash and his friends last night." He bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. "But you just lie there and rest."

"Love you, Sam…" Delia mumbled as her eyes closed.

"I love you too, Delia," Professor Oak whispered back as he shut the bedroom door behind him.

-

As the grandfather clock in the hall struck nine, Tracey's eyes fluttered open.

"What th'…?" He glanced up at the clock. "Oh, no!" The boy threw aside his blanket and leapt up from the couch.

_Professor Oak's gonna kill me,_ Tracey thought as he frantically dashed out of the living room. _I overslept and forgot to feed the Pokémon._ The boy was so panicked that halfway down the hall he ended up colliding with his boss.

"Oh, Professor…I'm so sorry," Tracey gasped as he helped the older man up. "I overslept, but I didn't mean to…honest! I'll go feed the Pokémon right…"

"Tracey, it's all right. I already took care of the Pokémon this morning," Professor Oak reassured his young assistant.

"You…you did?"

"Yes. I figured that you and your friends wouldn't get much sleep last night since you were staying downstairs to console Ash. I thought that it'd be best to let you sleep in this morning."

"Thanks, Professor," Tracey replied gratefully as he yawned. "We all stayed up pretty late last night reminiscing about our adventures with Pikachu."

"Sort of like a wake?" Professor Oak smiled as the two headed down the hallway to the lab.

"Yeah. We're all gonna miss that little guy."

"I will too, Tracey." Professor Oak nodded in the direction of the kitchen. "Why don't you go get some breakfast? Delia's in the kitchen making blueberry pancakes for everyone."

Tracey sniffed the air appreciatively. "I thought I smelled something yummy."

"Oh, Tracey…when you're done eating, I need you to get the place ready for the mourners."

"Mourners?"

"All of the Pokémon whose lives Pikachu touched are coming to pay their respects before the funeral this afternoon. When I went out to take care of the Pokémon this morning, Bulbasaur said that he was going to gather everyone together for the visitation."

"Good ol' Bulbasaur," Tracey smiled sadly. "I'll bet he's taking it the hardest since he was friends with Pikachu longer than any of the other Pokémon here."

"I think that's why he also feels that it's his responsibility to gather all of Pikachu's old friends together," Professor Oak said. "He told me this morning that Noctowl arrived with Squirtle late last night and that Pidgeot will be here with Charizard soon."

"It'll be good to see those guys again. I just wish it could be under different circumstances."

"So do I, Tracey. So do I. Anyway, go get something to eat now. We've all got a long day ahead of us."

"Morning, everyone," Brock yawned as he came down the hallway.

"Good morning, Brock," smiled Professor Oak. "How did you sleep?"

"Fair. Misty and Ash are still crashed on the couch," the boy replied.

"Brock, if you don't mind my asking, how long have Ash and Misty been…involved?" Professor Oak inquired curiously.

"As long as I've known them," Brock smiled.

"Yeah. Those two have been crazy about each other for a long time. At least as long as I've known them," agreed Tracey.

"Misty's had a crush on Ash for years," Brock explained. "And even though they get on each other's nerves all the time, it's cute to watch them together."

"Ah, I see," said Professor Oak. "Um, Brock…have you ever discussed, uh, matters of the opposite sex with Ash?"

"You mean the birds and the Beedrills talk? Yeah, I gave him all my insight on how to woo women," Brock said with a grin.

"Why, Professor?" asked Tracey curiously.

"Never mind, Tracey. It's not important right now," Professor Oak said. "I have some work to do in the lab right now, so why don't the both of you go get some breakfast?"

"I thought I smelled blueberry pancakes," Brock smiled, sniffing the air. "I gave Mrs. Ketchum my recipe the last time I was here."

-

The sunlight streaming in through the picture window overlooking Pallet Town awakened Ash a half hour later. The boy opened his eyes and found himself face to face with Misty, who lay curled up against him, her arm draped across his. The girl stirred, and her eyes slowly opened.

"Hi, Ash," Misty whispered softly. "Doing okay?"

"Were you here with me all night last night, Mist?" Ash asked, gazing into her eyes.

"Yeah. I wasn't going to leave you," she replied, giving Ash's arm a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks, Misty," Ash replied with a slight smile. "That means a lot to me."

"I'll always be here for you, Ash. Today, tomorrow, and always. Don't ever forget that." She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I love you, Mist," Ash whispered softly once their lips parted.

"I love you too, Ash," Misty whispered back. "And I'm going to help you get through all this."

Ash glanced at the table where Pikachu lay. "I don't know if I'm ever gonna get over this, Misty."

"Bulba," grunted a Pokémon who had just appeared in the doorway.

Ash managed a tiny smile at the sight of his old Pokémon. "Hey, Bulbasaur, ol' buddy."

The Pokémon leapt onto the bed and nuzzled its former trainer's arm comfortingly. "Bulbasaur."

"You miss Pikachu too, don't you, Bulbasaur?" Ash said, giving his Pokémon a hug.

"Saur," the Pokémon nodded. Jumping down from the bed, Bulbasaur made its way over Pikachu's casket.

"Bulba-bulba-saur." _("Pikachu, old friend, the other Pokémon and I have come here today to honor your memory.")_ A vine slowly snaked out of the Pokémon's back and gently caressed Pikachu's head. Bulbasaur then turned and made a motion with its vine to the other Pokémon waiting in the hallway.

"Look, Ash!" Misty exclaimed in surprise. "Everyone's come to pay their respects to Pikachu."

Ash turned and saw all of his old Pokémon waiting in the hallway – Bayleef, Totodile, Noctowl, Cyndaquil, Phanpy, Muk, Heracross, Kingler, Snorlax, and…

Ash leapt up from the bed and ran to embrace a small, blue turtle Pokémon that was wearing dark sunglasses.

"Squirtle, ol' buddy…I'm so happy to see you again!"

The turtle Pokémon removed its sunglasses and looked over at where Pikachu lay.

"Squirtle," he said sadly as his eyes began to redden with tears.

"Oh, Squirtle…" Ash felt his tears starting too.

"Char?" growled another Pokémon.

"Char…?" Ash looked up in surprise and saw a huge, orange, dragonlike Pokémon stomping its way down the hall. "Charizard!" Ash ran to his old friend and hugged him tightly.

"Geot," said another Pokémon wearily.

"Pidgeot!" exclaimed Ash as the exhausted Pokémon fluttered through the doorway. It had spent most of the previous night flying to and from Charific Valley to tell Charizard of Pikachu's death.

"Oh, Pidgeot, ol' buddy, you look beat," Ash said, stroking the brown feathers on the Pokémon's back. "Misty, don't put the bed back yet. Let Pidgeot lie down for a while."

Misty, who had been in the middle of folding up the sofa bed to make room for all the mourners, unfolded it. Pidgeot gratefully perched itself atop one of the pillows and promptly fell asleep.

"Oh, guys, I'm so happy to see all of you again," Ash said as he hugged both Squirtle and Charizard to him tightly.

"Hey, guys! Look!" exclaimed Brock as he stuck his head out of the kitchen. "It's Charizard and Squirtle!"

"It's good to see you guys again," said Tracey, who had just appeared behind Brock.

"Ash, sweetie, are you awake?" Delia appeared behind Tracey.

"Yeah, Mom," Ash called out.

"Come and have something to eat, honey," Delia said. "I made pancakes."

Ash shook his head. "Not right now, Mom. I wanna spend some time with Squirtle and Charizard."

"It's okay, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said, taking the tray of pancakes from Delia. "I'll make sure Ash eats something."

_Oh, Ash…why did you have to grow up so fast? _Delia thought sadly as she watched the girl head down the hallway to her son. Dabbing her eyes with the corner of her apron, she turned and headed back to the kitchen to clean up.

_To be continued…_


	11. Chapter 11

The mourners, both human and Pokémon, gathered in the living room where Pikachu lay. One by one, they lined up and said their farewells to the little yellow Pokémon that had touched all of their lives.

"Bay-bay! Baaaaay!" Bayleef sobbed uncontrollably. _("Even though I was jealous of you, Pikachu, I never wanted this to happen! I'm so sorry!")_

"Toto. Dile," the blue crocodile Pokémon said solemnly, which was unusual since it was always so happy and active. _("'Bye, Pikachu. You were a good friend.")_

Next came the three youngest Pokémon – Cyndaquil, Phanpy, and Togepi. All except Cyndaquil, who was a little older than the other two and understood what was going on, were confused at all the commotion. Togepi in particular was sad because Pikachu still wouldn't wake up and play with it. "Togi?" it said questioningly as it gently tapped Pikachu's shoulder, hoping it would do the trick and wake up its friend.

"Oh, Togepi," Misty said, choking up with emotion. "Pikachu can't hear you, Togepi." She gently removed her Pokémon from Pikachu's side. "Togepi, Pikachu isn't going to wake up. Pikachu is…Pikachu is…oh, Togepi." Misty embraced her baby Pokémon and began to cry.

After Cyndaquil and Phanpy each laid a wildflower atop Pikachu's casket, Bulbasaur gently led away the two young Pokémon and Squirtle stepped up.

"Squirtle? Squirtle-squirt. Squirtle. Squirtle-squirt." _("We had some good times together, didn't we, Pikachu? You helped me and the rest of the Squirtle Squad get our act together. You were also one of the strongest battling Pokémon I've ever known. I'm gonna miss you, buddy – we all are.")_ Squirtle replaced his sunglasses to hide the tears that were streaming down its face.

Next came the Pokémon that had resided at the Oak Pokémon Preserve for some time – Kingler, Muk, Snorlax, and Heracross. None of them had known Pikachu as long as the other Pokémon, but they all took turns saying goodbye to the Pokémon that had fought by their side in several battles. Then came Charizard.

"Char. Charizard. Charrr. Charr. Charizard. Char. Charizard." _("I never thought much of small Pokémon like Pikachus. But you proved to me that a Pokémon's size doesn't matter as much as its spirit. You always fought with honor and bravery. You never backed down from a challenge. And I will always carry the memory of your spirit with me for as long as I shall live. Goodbye, Pikachu. It was an honor to fight by your side.")_

"You next, guys." Tracey had assembled his Pokémon and the three made their way over to Pikachu's casket.

"Marill," "Good-bye, Pikachu." the little blue Pokémon sobbed as it placed a purple wildflower next to Cyndaquil and Phanpy's white ones. Venomoth (Venonat had evolved a few days before) fluttered over to Pikachu and added a yellow flower to the bouquet atop Pikachu's casket.

"Scy. Scyther-scy," the elderly bug Pokémon said as it bent over Pikachu's still form. _("Like Charizard said, it was an honor to fight by your side. And someday in the near future, I will join you and we will battle together once more.")_

"My turn," said Brock, releasing his Pokémon. Geodude, Onix, Crobat, and Forretress appeared with a bright flash of light. Each took their turn in saying goodbye to their fallen friend.

Misty wiped her eyes and reached for her Poké balls. "Come on out, everyone." Staryu, Corsola, Goldeen, Politoed, and Psyduck appeared, and all said their goodbyes to Pikachu. Psyduck in particular was quite upset at the sight of Pikachu in its coffin.

"Psy-yi-yi-yiii!" the Pokémon wailed as it threw itself atop Pikachu's body.

"Man, I didn't realize Psyduck would be so upset over Pikachu," Brock remarked as the Pokémon sobbed loudly.

"Oh, I forgot Starmie and Horsea – I'll have to run back to Cerulean City and get them before the funeral. Come here, Psyduck." Misty pulled her blubbering Pokémon off of Pikachu and gave it a hug.

"I need to run back to Pewter City too," said Brock, recalling his Pokémon. "But I'll be back before the funeral this afternoon. Are you going to be okay, Ash?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay," Ash replied. "Squirtle, Charizard, and everyone else will keep me company."

"If you need anything, Ash, just let me know," said Tracey. "I'll be down the hallway in the lab. And Professor Oak is out back. He said that he was getting things ready for the funeral this afternoon."

"Hey, have any of you guys seen my mom?" Ash asked, looking around.

"Which reminds me…" Misty grabbed the tray of pancakes that she had put on the table next to the sofa bed. "I promised your mom that I would make sure that you ate something." Misty handed the tray to Ash. "Now you eat all those. You'll get sick if you don't eat something."

"Geez, now you're starting to sound like my mom, Misty," Ash grumbled.

"That's because we both care a lot about you. Now eat." Misty shoved a fork into Ash's hand.

-

Meanwhile, Delia, who was feeling a bit left out, had decided to go back to her house and tell her Pokémon, Mimie, about what had happened.

"I know you were fond of Pikachu too, Mimie," Delia said as she gave her Pokémon a comforting hug. "And that's why the two of us are going to pick the nicest flowers in the garden to make a beautiful bouquet for Pikachu."

While the pair were working in the garden, Professor Oak, who had also wondered where Delia had gone, came wandering up.

"There you are!" he exclaimed as he opened the gate to the Ketchum backyard. "I was wondering what had happened to you."

"Oh, Ash was with his friends, so I figured that he didn't need his old mother hanging around," Delia said with a sad smile. "So I decided to come back here and pick some flowers for Pikachu."

"You're hardly old, Delia," Professor Oak said with a slight smile as he seated himself on the bench next to where Delia and Mimie were working. "And Ash does need you."

"No, he doesn't. Not anymore. Ash is growing up now. He's out on his own, he has a girlfriend now…he doesn't need me fussing over him."

"Delia, Ash is always going to love you, even if he is growing up and depending on you less."

"I know, Sam," Delia said with a sigh. "It's just that it's hard for me to accept that Ash is a teenager now. Matter of fact, when I first saw him at the Johto League Championship, I couldn't believe how much he had grown. And I still can't get used to the idea that he has a girlfriend. When he left home, he still thought that all girls were icky. And I also can't get used to the idea that poor little Pikachu is gone."

"Ash is undergoing a lot of changes in his life right now. But as long as he knows that you're there for him, he'll be all right."

"Thanks, Sam," Delia smiled. "You always know what to say to help me feel better. That's one of the things I love about you. That, and you're always so helpful." She threw a huge bunch of flowers into his arms. "Let's take these over to Pikachu right now."

_To be continued…_


	12. Chapter 12

"There they are! I never thought we'd catch up with those twerps."

"Can you see what's going on, Jessie?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth had spent several days searching for Ash and Pikachu in Hoenn until they had learned that they had returned to Kanto. The trio arrived in Pallet Town early that morning and had luckily happened to stumble upon the gathering at the Pokémon cemetery on the Oak preserve.

"It looks like they're having a gathering of some kind," Jessie reported as she peered through her binoculars from their perch atop a nearby tree. "And look at all those Pokémon! Squirtle, Pidgeot, and even Charizard."

"Ooh, the Boss is going to be so pleased when we bring him a vast assortment of Pokémon," James squealed gleefully.

And then Jessie noticed something odd. "Hey, where's Pikachu?"

"Whaddya mean, Jessie?" asked Meowth.

"See for yourself," Jessie said, shoving the binoculars in Meowth's face. "The twerps are there, but no Pikachu."

"Hey, you're right, Jessie," said Meowth as he scanned the crowd assembled around Pikachu's grave. "Where is da little yellow furball?"

James peered through his own pair of binoculars. "Uh…does it look like to you guys that they're having a funeral?"

"A funeral!" Jessie and Meowth exclaimed in unison.

"Give me those!" Jessie snatched her binoculars back from her feline partner and took another look at the scene below. "You're right, James. I wonder who died?"

"Was it da ol' geezer who owns dis Pokémon preserve?" wondered Meowth.

"No, the old professor is right over there," Jessie replied.

James gasped and turned pale. "Jessie…take a look at the coffin."

"So what?" Jessie retorted. "Whatever's in there isn't very big. Oh, I wish I could hear what was going on down there."

"I gotta idea, Jess. How about dis?" Meowth held up a small disk that was shaped like a Ledyba. "It's a bug dat looks like a bug."

"How cute!" James gushed.

"Knock it off, James," snapped Jessie. "So how are we going to get that down there where the twerps are?"

"Leave it to me," Meowth volunteered. He carefully crept down from their treetop perch, stealthily made his way over to the shrubbery that bordered the edge of the cemetery, and flung the bug over the bushes. It landed in a clump of grass ten feet away from Tracey's left foot.

"Now dat should do it," Meowth said proudly as he climbed back up to the tree where his partners were awaiting him anxiously. Meowth inserted a receiver into his ear. "Now we should be able to hear what's going on over dere."

"So what's going on?" Jessie asked impatiently.

"Well, da ol' guy is sayin' somethin' about…oh, my…!" Meowth looked horrified.

"What is it, Meowth?" James asked, concerned.

"Dat…dat's _Pikachu_ in dere!" Meowth shrieked, pointing at the casket in the middle of the crowd of mourners below.

"Shut up, Meowth!" Jessie hissed as she quickly slapped her hand over her partner's mouth. "Don't blow our cover!"

"Pikachu? What would Pikachu be doing in a casket unless it was…was…" Then James realized what was going on.

"But…but how can Pikachu be dead?" Meowth wondered aloud, his voice shaky. "Da little rodent looked pretty healthy to me the last time we saw it. Especially after we sucked all da extra electricity outta it."

"Give me that!" Jessie said sharply, yanking the receiver out of Meowth's ear. She held it in her palm so that all three could hear what was going on.

"Pikachu meant a great deal to all of us," said Professor Oak, whose voice could be clearly heard through the receiver. "So today we'll honor Pikachu's memory with memories of our own. But first, I'd like to read a couple of e-mails I received earlier." Professor Oak unfolded a piece of paper and started reading it. "Ash, I'm really sorry about your Pikachu. He was always a tough opponent – one of the toughest Pokémon I'd ever battled. I couldn't believe it when the Nurse Joy here at the Sapphire Coast told me Gramps had called to say that Pikachu was dead. Ash, I had a lot of respect for your Pikachu. You did a great job of training him, and you should be proud. I know you're really gonna miss him. Tell Pikachu good-bye for me…Gary."

"Good ol' Gary," Ash smiled through his tears.

"I never thought I'd hear Ash say that," Misty whispered to Brock.

"The second one is from Professor Birch," Professor Oak continued. "Ash, Professor Oak told me the news about Pikachu this morning. I've asked Officer Jenny to keep a lookout for Team Rocket. However, if I get my hands on them first, there won't be enough left of them to turn into the police."

"Team Rocket?" James said incredulously. "What's he talking about?"

"Shh!" Jessie hissed.

"Ash, if you decide to return to Hoenn someday, I have a Pokémon here waiting for you. But if you don't, I understand. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to do more to help your Pikachu. And I'm truly sorry for your loss. Pikachu was obviously a very special Pokémon."

"He sure was," said Misty, wiping away a tear.

"If I ever get my hands on Team Rocket and that machine of theirs…" Ash's face hardened.

"Ash, revenge isn't going to solve anything," said Brock.

"They killed Pikachu, Brock! Them and their stupid electromagnet! And I'm gonna make them pay for what they did!" Ash shouted.

"Did…did you hear what the twerp just said?" gulped James, his face pale.

Jessie stared at the bug with a stunned look on her face. "I…we…but…"

"We killed Pikachu!" sobbed Meowth.

"But…but we didn't mean to kill Pikachu," said James, who looked as if he were ready to cry. "Capture him, but never kill him."

"Poor li'l Pikachu," wailed Meowth, blowing his nose on James's sleeve. "Pikachu, we're so sorry! We didn't mean to kill youse!"

Jessie suddenly came to her senses and slapped her companions. "Shut up, you two! They're going to hear you!"

"I can't believe you, Jessie," sniffed James. "How can you be so heartless at a time like this?"

"Look, all this blubbering isn't going to bring Pikachu back," Jessie said harshly. "And if those twerps find us sitting here, we'll be joining Pikachu – you heard what the twerp said. Come on. Let's get out of here before they spot us."

As Team Rocket silently slipped away, the mourners gathered around Pikachu's coffin were taking turns saying good-bye to the little Pokémon that had touched all of their lives.

"Pikachu," began Tracey, "we had some good memories in the Orange Islands. And I'll never forget our adventure at Shamuti Island. How many Pokémon can say that they helped save the world? You were a brave little Pokémon and a good friend." Tracey unfolded a picture in his hands and handed it to Ash. "Here. I did this sketch during our journey in the Orange Islands." Ash saw that it was a drawing of Pikachu sitting atop a rock, eating an apple. "I figured you might like to have this."

"Thanks, Tracey," Ash said, taking the sketch from his friend. "This is a great drawing."

"Good-bye, Pikachu," Tracey said, taking one of the yellow roses from the bouquet sitting at the head of the gravesite and placing it atop the small casket.

"That was so sweet of you, Tracey," Misty said, giving her friend's shoulder a squeeze as he returned to his place among the circle of mourners.

Brock stepped forward. "Pikachu, when you and Ash first arrived at the Pewter City Gym, I honestly didn't think much of either one of you. But you proved me wrong. You were a special part of my life and all our lives. And more than once you helped get our butts out of a tough situation. You're an unforgettable Pokémon, Pikachu. Good-bye, little guy." Choking back tears, Brock placed another yellow rose atop the Pokémon's coffin.

Misty was obviously too choked up to go next, so Delia stepped forward. "Oh, Pikachu, you were such a sweet little thing. You brought so much joy to everyone's lives. And you even saved my life when I was kidnapped by the Unown in Greenfield. I still can't believe you're gone, poor little thing." Delia laid a bouquet of the prettiest flowers from her garden atop Pikachu's coffin. "Mimie and I picked these just for you. Good-bye, Pikachu." She wiped away the tears rolling down here face and returned to her spot next to Professor Oak, who gave her arm a comforting squeeze. (Since Delia's back was to everyone, no one saw the tender private gesture.) He then stepped forward.

"Pikachu, when you first came to my lab, I didn't know exactly what to do with you. And I definitely had my doubts about giving you to Ash, but he was so stubborn and persistent that I couldn't say no."

"Yep, that's our Ash," Brock said, eliciting a soft laugh from the congregation.

"But it turns out that it was probably one of the best decisions that I had ever made. You and Ash made a perfect team. As Tracey said, you helped restore the harmony of fire, ice, and lightning on Shamuti Island. You helped rescue Delia from the Unown. And you helped a young boy named Sammy save his friend Celebi. You've made a difference in all our lives, and for that we're all grateful for having known you. And we will all miss you. None of us will ever forget what a truly special Pokémon you really were. Good-bye, Pikachu." He added another yellow rose to the growing mound of flowers atop the casket.

"Oh, Pikachu," Misty said, gulping back tears. "You were one of the sweetest Pokémon I've ever known. You always took time out to play with Togepi." She cuddled the upset-looking little Pokémon in her arms. "And you were also incredible when it came to battling too. There weren't many other Pokémon that could beat you and Ash. You and Ash were as close as a person and a Pokémon could be. And we're all going to miss you so much. We all loved you a lot, Pikachu." Misty lifted Togepi up so it could put another yellow rose atop Pikachu's coffin. "Good-bye." Misty sniffed back her tears and returned to her spot next to Ash.

"That was really nice, Misty," Ash whispered to her before stepping forward. "Oh, Pikachu…I don't know what I'm gonna do without you now, ol' buddy. This is all so unreal. I stil can't believe this is happening." A tear started rolling down Ash's face.

"Oh, Ash." Misty reached out and laid her hand on Ash's shoulder.

"I loved you so much, Pikachu," Ash continued in a quavering voice. "And I'll never forget you."

Brock stepped forward and laid his hand on Ash's other shoulder.

"Oh…oh…guys…what am I gonna do without Pikachu?" Ash's tears were falling freely now. Misty and Brock embraced their friend, and Tracey joined the group hug. Delia took a step forward to comfort her son, but stopped when Ash turned to Misty and threw himself into her arms.

"Oh, Misty, what am I gonna do?" Ash sobbed into the girl's red hair as he clung desperately to her.

"Go ahead and cry, Ash," Misty whispered as she stroked Ash's hair comfortingly. "Just go ahead and cry."

Ash's other Pokémon, all of whom were crying as much as Ash was, gathered around their trainer and joined the group hug.

"Come here, Delia," Professor Oak said, gently pulling her towards him.

"But what if Ash sees us?" Delia said with a worried glance towards her son. She hadn't disclosed to him the intimate nature of her relationship with Professor Oak.

"Don't worry. There's nothing wrong with friends comforting each other," Professor Oak said, taking her into his arms. She buried her face in his neck, and her sobs joined those of the other mourners.

And that afternoon, everyone wept for the special little Pokémon that had touched all of their lives.

_To be continued…_


	13. Chapter 13

Everyone - including Team Rocket.

Jessie, James, and Meowth had managed to steal a bottle of wine and were holding a memorial service of their own for Pikachu.

"Here's to you, Pikachu," slurred Meowth, holding his glass of wine aloft. "Youse was da bestest Pokémon we ever tried to capture."

"I feel so guilty," James said sadly. "I wish we'd never used that electromagnet in the first place."

"Well, it's too late now," Jessie said morosely, staring down at her glass. "So we'd better come up with a plan fast."

"A plan? What are you talking about, Jessie?"

"Don't be an idiot, James. All we've done for the past few years is try to capture Pikachu for the Boss. Now that the little rodent is dead, we're going to be out of a job."

"Oh, I never thought of that."

"Ya know, I remember when Pikachu and I was handcuffed together on dat one island in da Orange Islands," Meowth continued drunkenly. "It was a magical night for da two of us – one I'll never forget."

Both Jessie's and James's eyebrows arched in surprise.

"Oh, nuttin' happened," Meowth hiccupped. "Not like youse is thinkin'. But Pikachu and I spent da night together talkin' and sleepin' side by side. It was like da two of us was…friends." Meowth began sobbing once more.

"You've had enough, Meowth," Jessie said, prying the nearly empty bottle of wine out of Meowth's paws.

"So what are we going to do now, Jessie?" asked James as Meowth flopped over on his leg and began snoring.

"Well, since our job is trying to catch the twerp's Pokémon, then I guess we'll have to find a new Pokémon for the twerp. I guess we do owe him one since it was kind of our fault that Pikachu got…that he…"

"You miss Pikachu too, don't you?" James said, laying a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"I…I never meant for anything to happen to Pikachu," Jessie said, her eyes welling up with tears. "All I ever wanted to do was capture it and make the Boss proud."

"I feel just awful too," admitted James. "But it was an accident. It wasn't as if we deliberately set out to kill the little yellow furball."

"I know. But since we killed the twerp's Pokémon, I guess we owe him a new one. We'll just have to give him one of ours."

"What?"

"You heard me, James. For once, we're going to do the right thing. We'll give the twerp a new Pokémon to replace his old one with. I'm sure there are a bunch of Pikachu out there." She gestured in the direction of the forest that surrounded them. "How hard can it be to capture the twerp a new one?"

"Um, Jessie…we've been trying for years to capture Pikachu and never done it."

Jessie frowned. "Good point, James. Well, maybe we don't have to capture the twerp a Pikachu. We can just give him another Pokémon. You can give him your Victreebel."

"My Victreebel?" gasped James, horrified that Jessie would even suggest such a thing.

"Well, why not? It never listens to you."

"Just because Victreebel is always trying to eat me doesn't mean that I don't love it, Jessie," James said, offended. "Why don't you give the twerp your Arbok?"

"I'd never give away Arbok!" Jessie shouted. "Give him your Weezing instead!"

"No way! Why don't you give him…"

"Wobbuffet!" The blue bloblike Pokémon appeared in a flash of light and saluted Jessie.

"Don't tempt me, Wobbuffet," sighed Jessie as she recalled her Pokémon. "But Wobbuffet's Counter attack has gotten us out of several tight spots before. Despite everything, it's still a useful Pokémon."

"So what are we going to do, Jessie?"

"We need to find a Pokémon. And it can't be just any old Pokémon, either. It has to…" Jessie's gaze fell upon Meowth, who was sprawled on the ground and snoring softly. "That's it! We'll give the twerp Meowth!"

"Meowth! Jessie, you can't do that!"

"Why not, James? Meowth is a Pokémon. And you heard what he said – he liked the twerp's Pikachu, so maybe he and the twerp will get along all right." Jessie picked up the snoozing Meowth. "It's settled, then. We'll give the twerp Meowth to replace his Pikachu with. After all, it was Meowth's idea to get the electromagnet in the first place, so it's really mostly his fault that this happened."

"Oh, you're right, Jess…" Meowth whimpered miserably. (Jessie had awakened him when she picked him up.) "It's all my fault dat Pikachu is dead." He started crying once more.

"Oh, snap out of it, Meowth!" Jessie gave her feline companion a firm shake. "Pull yourself together! We've got a lot of work to do to make you presentable to the twerp."

"Da twerp?" Meowth's eyes shot open. "Whaddya talkin' about, Jessie?"

"Didn't you hear a word I just said?" Jessie said angrily. "We're giving you to the twerp as a replacement for his Pikachu."

Meowth stared at his partner in disbelief. "You're…you're what?"

"Look, Meowth, it's our fault that the little yellow furball is dead, so we're going to do the right thing for once and replace it," explained Jessie.

"But…but why me?" Meowth said, his eyes welling up with tears once more. "Don't youse guys love me anymore?"

"We do, Meowth," said James. "And that's why Jessie's right. The twerp really loved his Pikachu, so we have to give up a Pokémon that we really love to replace it with. It's only fair."

"I…oh, okay, Jimmy. You're right," Meowth replied sadly.

"Come on. Let's get Meowth sober, and then we'll go see if we can find the twerp." Jessie went off in search of some coffee.

_To be continued…_


	14. Chapter 14

Ash lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. After the funeral, he had retreated to his room and had remained there ever since. Figuring that Ash needed time alone to mourn his Pokémon, his mother and friends had left him alone. And ever since then, he had done nothing but cry for the Pokémon he had loved so much. Even when he had fallen into an exhausted sleep, all of his dreams were about Pikachu – playing with Pikachu, battling with Pikachu, and even mundane things like giving Pikachu a bath. And when Ash awoke, he would reach for the spot next to him where Pikachu normally slept – only to discover that Pikachu wasn't around anymore. And then Ash's heart would break once more.

Pikachu's death had been equally hard on Delia. Not only because she had been fond of her son's Pokémon, but because seeing her son like this broke her heart. Ash had always been the center of her life and more than anything she wished she could take away her son's pain.

"Sweetie, all I want to do is help you," Delia said, laying her hand on his shoulder.

"This isn't something you can just kiss and make all better, Mom," Ash had replied harshly, pulling away from her touch. "Can you just leave me alone now, please?"

And during the night, hearing her son crying in the next room had made Delia cry too. Ash had always been her little boy who had confided in her, and she had always been the one to make everything all better. But now she couldn't. And Ash's rejection of her had hurt her even more than Pikachu's death.

Delia didn't push when Ash refused dinner the night before, figuring that he was too exhausted to eat. But when Ash rejected breakfast the next morning, she began to worry.

"Ash, sweetie, you need to eat something," Delia coaxed once more, putting a tray down on the table next to Ash's bed. "You'll get sick if you don't eat. Have some oatmeal, honey. It'll make you feel better. It's your favorite – apple cinnamon."

"Don't feel like it," Ash mumbled, turning over to face the wall. "And nothing's going to make me feel better."

"Well, all right," Delia said, reluctantly putting down the spoonful of oatmeal she was ready to feed her son. "But you can't go on like this, honey. You need to eat."

"Can you just leave me alone now, Mom, please?" Ash said wearily.

Delia left the tray with Ash's breakfast sitting on the table next to his bed. "All right. But if you need me, I'll be downstairs."

Ash grunted in reply as Delia shut the door.

"Oh, Ash," Delia said softly. She was desperately worried about her son. All she wanted to do was help heal her son's broken heart, but nothing she said or did seemed to do any good.

"Mime?"

"He still won't eat, Mimie," Delia said as she came into the kitchen. The Pokémon held out a plate of chocolate chip cookies it had just finished baking. "Thank you, Mimie," Delia smiled, taking a bite of one. "Maybe Ash will…"

A knock at the back door interrupted her thoughts. Finishing her cookie, she answered the door and saw Tracey standing on the porch.

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum. How's Ash doing?" the boy asked, concerned.

"Not well at all, I'm afraid," Delia replied. "Tracey, could you talk to him and see if you can get him to eat something? I'm afraid he's going to get sick if he keeps up like this much longer."

"I'll see what I can do, Mrs. K." Tracey went upstairs to Ash's room and knocked softly on the door.

"Go away, Mom," was the reply from inside.

"Ash, it's me, Tracey. Can I come in?"

When Ash didn't answer, Tracey opened the door and saw that all the curtains in the room were drawn. Even though it was a bright, sunny morning, it was nearly pitch black in Ash's room.

"Whoa. Let's open one of these and let some light in. I can barely see." Tracey lifted one of the shades, causing Ash to blink painfully as the sunlight came streaming in. "There. That's bett…" Tracey stopped in mid-sentence, shocked by Ash's appearance. The boy's face was pale, and his eyes were red and swollen from hours of crying. The boy's hair was uncombed and sticking out in all directions, and his clothes were rumpled from having slept in them the night before.

"Man, you look rough," said Tracey, bending over his friend. "Maybe you oughta go take a shower or something."

"Leave me alone, Tracey," Ash mumbled.

"Ash, we're all worried about you. Me, Brock, Misty, Professor Oak, your mom…everyone. Are you doing all right?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"Ash, we all loved Pikachu too," Tracey continued. "We all miss him. But we're all trying to get on with our lives now. I know it's hard, but maybe you should…"

"Pikachu _was_ my life, Tracey. And now that he's gone, I don't know if I want to go on."

Tracey was stunned by his friend's last statement. "Ash, you shouldn't…"

"Go away, Tracey," Ash ordered, closing his eyes. "I want to be alone."

"Well…okay, Ash," Tracey said reluctantly, heading for the door. "But I'll stop by again later."

"Did he eat anything, Tracey?" Delia asked hopefully as the boy came downstairs.

Tracey shook his head. "I see what you mean, Mrs. Ketchum. Now I'm really worried about Ash. Maybe I'll give Brock and Misty a call when I get back to the lab."

"Speaking of which…how are things at the lab, Tracey?" Delia said, offering the boy the plate of cookies.

"Oh, yeah…I almost forgot. Professor Oak wanted to know if it was okay for him to come over and see you for dinner tonight. With everything that's going on with Ash, he wasn't sure if you wanted him around or not. And he wanted me to give you this." Tracey reached inside his pocket and handed Delia a small plastic bag with a snippet of yellow fur inside. "You asked for this yesterday, and he forgot to give it to you after the funeral was over."

"Thanks, Tracey. But I'm not sure Ash is ready to have this yet." She pocketed the bag. "And tell your boss that I'd like it very much if he came over for dinner tonight. And Tracey, you're more than welcome to stay for dinner too."

"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum, but I'm going to go see May tonight," Tracey said between bites of cookie. "She wanted to come for Pikachu's funeral, but she's had exams all week. And her grandfather told her that she'd be better off staying at school after her last report card."

"Tell her I said hello," Delia called out as Tracey headed down the road back to the Oak lab.

-

"Ash still not eating?" Professor Oak said as Delia came downstairs with an untouched deep-dish chili cheese dog pizza pot pie in her arms.

"No," Delia said forlornly. "Sam, he's going to get sick if he keeps this up. He hasn't touched a thing since Pikachu's funeral. I knew he'd miss Pikachu, but I didn't think he'd miss him that much. I'm so worried about him."

"Would you like for me to talk to him?" Professor Oak offered.

"I wish you would," Delia said gratefully. "Maybe Ash will open up to another man. He's certainly not opening up to me."

Professor Oak went upstairs and knocked on Ash's bedroom door.

"Forget it, Mom. I'm not hungry."

"Ash, it's not your mother. It's me…Professor Oak. May I come in?"

Ash grunted in reply, so Professor Oak took that as a "yes" and opened the door.

"Hello, Ash. How are you doing?" Professor Oak approached the bed and was shocked by the boy's disheveled appearance. Delia and Tracey hadn't been exaggerating when they had told him how bad Ash was.

"Did Mom send you?" Ash mumbled in response, glancing in his mentor's direction.

"No. Not entirely. I was wondering how you were holding up. Your mother says that you're not eating."

"I wish she'd just leave me alone," Ash said, turning away.

"Ash, your mother's worried about you. We all are."

"No offense, Professor Oak, but could you leave me alone too?"

Professor Oak instead drew closer and leaned on the edge of Ash's bed. "Ash, did I ever tell you about the time my first Pokémon died?"

Ash turned his head slightly in the older man's direction. "No."

"I was a little younger than you when it happened. Pidgey was the first Pokémon that I had caught on my own, and he and I were inseparable. He even slept perched next to me every night." Professor Oak smiled to himself at the memory.

"Yeah, Pikachu always sleeps…" Ash's heart sank once more at the verbal misstep he had just made. "…used to sleep next to me."

"One day, Pidgey and I were in the middle of the Ilex Forest when we accidentally stumbled into a Beedrill's nest," Professor Oak continued. "Pidgey tried to hold them off so I could get away, but there were just too many of them."

Ash was now facing Professor Oak. "What happened, Professor?"

"When I saw that the Beedrill were attacking Pidgey, I let loose my Charmeleon to help…but it was too late. Pidgey had been stung numerous times."

"Wasn't there a Pokémon Center nearby?"

"No. It wouldn't have made any difference anyway. Pidgey are highly reactive to Beedrill venom – something I didn't know then. Pidgey was dead by the time my Charmeleon had emerged from its Poké ball. My Pidgey died trying to save me, Ash – the same way your Pikachu died trying to save you. And I'll never forget the sacrifice my Pokémon made for me. Every time I go to Johto, I always visit the spot in the Ilex Forest where I buried my Pidgey."

"Did you cry then, Professor?" Ash asked curiously.

Professor Oak nodded. "I cried a lot, Ash - just like you cried for Pikachu. And for days after that I wondered if I even wanted to continue my Pokémon training. Without my faithful friend Pidgey, I wondered what was the point of even going on."

"I know where this is going, Professor Oak," Ash said, turning away once more. "You're trying to tell me that I should keep on being a Pokémon trainer even without Pikachu."

"For as long as I've known you, you've always wanted to be a Pokémon Master, Ash."

"Forget it, Professor Oak. Now that Pikachu's gone, I don't want to battle Pokémon ever again. He and I were a team. He was the first Pokémon I ever had, and he'll be the last one I'll ever have."

"Not eating isn't going to bring Pikachu back, Ash. He loved you enough to give his life for you. Would Pikachu have wanted you to hurt yourself?"

Ash bit his lip to stave off the tears – Professor Oak was right.

"Come downstairs and eat something, Ash," Professor Oak said, laying a sympathetic hand on the boy's shoulder.

"In a little bit," Ash replied, trying hard not to cry.

"I'll leave you alone now," Professor Oak said, figuring the boy needed some time to regain his composure. "But if you want to talk some more, I'll be downstairs with your mother." He headed back downstairs to where Delia was waiting anxiously in the kitchen.

"Did you talk to him?" Delia asked. "Is he going to come down and eat? Should I bring something up to him?"

"We talked for a little while, Delia. Hopefully I've gotten through to him. Why don't we get started on dinner now? Ash said he'd try to come down and have something to eat."

The two ate dinner in silence, occasionally glancing at the stairs at the sound of the slightest creak. At the beginning of dessert Professor Oak looked at his watch, concerned. "I would've thought Ash would've come downstairs by now."

"I wonder if something's wrong," Delia said, jumping up from the table. "I'm going to go upstairs and check on Ash right now." Professor Oak followed her upstairs to Ash's room.

"Ash, honey?" Delia knocked on the door to her son's bedroom. "Ash?"

When there was no response, Delia knocked louder. "Ash? Ash, we're waiting for you downstairs. Please come eat."

When there was still no reply, Delia turned to Professor Oak anxiously. "Maybe something's wrong."

Professor Oak tried knocking on the door. "Ash?" When there was no reply, he quickly opened the door. Ash, his eyes closed, lay unmoving atop his bed.

"Ash?" Delia said, her voice shaky. The boy didn't respond.

"He's still breathing, Delia," Professor Oak reassured her as the pair approached Ash's bed. "Looks like he's asleep. He must be exhausted to have not heard all the knocking."

"All he's done for the last couple of days is cry and sleep, poor thing." Delia gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of her son's face.

Professor Oak studied the sleeping boy for a few seconds then covered him with a blanket. "I think he'll be all right. Let's let him get some rest. That's probably the best thing for him right now."

Once outside in the hallway, Delia breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was so scared that he had done…that he had…" Delia hugged Professor Oak gratefully. "Especially since he's been so depressed over Pikachu."

Professor Oak didn't tell her that he had thought the same thing. While he was covering Ash with the blanket, he not only was carefully listening to the boy's breathing, but he also had deliberately rested his palm atop Ash's heart for a few moments to make certain that the boy was merely asleep and hadn't overdosed on pills. He was worried about Ash too.

_To be continued…_


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, a groggy Ash slowly made his way downstairs. Before he had fallen asleep the evening before, he had been thinking about what Professor Oak had said to him

_Not eating isn't going to bring Pikachu back, Ash. He loved you enough to give his life for you. Would Pikachu have wanted you to hurt yourself?_

And Ash realized that he was right. That, and the growling from his stomach was driving him crazy. Ash sat up, attempted to get out of bed, and nearly fainted. He was so lightheaded from not having eaten in over twenty-four hours that he had to keep a firm grip on the stair railing to keep from passing out as he carefully made his way downstairs.

"Hi, honey," Delia smiled as her son shuffled into the kitchen. "How do you feel?"

"Can I have something to eat, Mom?" Ash asked as he sank into one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

Delia's heart leapt. "Of course, sweetie. What would you like to eat?"

"Oatmeal would be okay, I guess."

"Mimie, go get some orange juice out of the refrigerator while I get the oatmeal started." Delia tied her apron around her waist and began bustling about the kitchen. After preparing his breakfast, she sat a large bowl of oatmeal in front of him and watched eagerly as he proceeded to eat every bite.

"Would you like some more, honey?" She poised the pot of oatmeal over Ash's bowl, ready to refill it.

"That's okay, Mom," Ash replied, standing up. The food had done wonders as far as re-energizing him. "I'm gonna go upstairs and get cleaned up now. I'm gonna go over to Cerulean City and see Misty."

Delia's heart sank a little. She had been hoping that Ash would spend the day with her so she could fuss over him like she usually did. Delia wasn't sure if she was ever going to get used to the idea that Ash wasn't going to be coming to her for comfort anymore.

"Honey, are you sure you're up to that? You haven't eaten anything in nearly two days and you're probably weak…" Ash silenced her with a _don't__ start, Mom_ look.

Delia also wasn't sure if she liked the idea of Ash having a girlfriend. In her eyes, Ash was still a baby. But as Ash stood up, Delia was suddenly aware of how tall he was now. It was then that Delia realized that Ash wasn't a baby anymore. He was a teenager now and well on his way to manhood.

Delia forced herself to smile. "Well, all right, dear. If you feel like you're up to it, then you can go visit Misty."

As Ash disappeared upstairs, Delia was suddenly overwhelmed by sadness. Why did Ash have to grow up so quickly?

-

"Seadra, Hydro Pump now!" The seahorse Pokémon sent a torrent of water in the direction of the Sandslash sitting on the edge of the huge pool dominating the Cerulean City Gym.

"Oh no! Sandslash!" the Pokémon's trainer cried as the yellow, mole-like Pokémon collapsed and fainted.

"Sorry, kid," said Misty as she emerged from the water. "You'll have to try again some other time if you want to win the Cascade Badge. Come back when you get some more experience under your belt."

The disappointed young trainer recalled his Pokémon and made his way out of the gym just as a dark-haired teenage boy was entering.

"Watch out for her," the youngster told Ash, pointing in Misty's direction. "She's one tough Gym Leader. She'll kick your butt if you're not prepared."

"Yeah, Misty's a pretty tough water Pokémon trainer," Ash smiled slightly as he walked towards the tank where Misty was drying herself off.

"Ash!" Misty exclaimed in surprise at the sight of her friend. She hurried over to Ash and embraced him. "Oh, Ash…how are you doing? I wanted to come over to your house, but your mom said that you weren't feeling well and needed to rest. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little better, Misty. Do you have time to talk?"

"I'll always have time for you, Ash. You know that. Let me get out of my wetsuit, and we'll go sit outside."

Ash went outside and sat down on one of the benches in the back of the gymnasium. Misty emerged from the gym a few minutes later and sat down next to him.

"Are you doing okay, Ash?" Misty said, concerned. Despite his efforts to clean himself up, he couldn't eliminate the red eyes that two days of crying had produced.

"I'm better today, Mist," the boy replied.

"No offense, Ash, but you still look pretty rough around the edges."

"I'll be all right, Misty. Listen, the reason I came over here is because I need to talk to someone."

"About what, Ash?"

"About what I want to do now. What I want to do with my life now that Pikachu's gone."

"Ash, what are you talking about? For as long as I've known you, you've always wanted to be a Pokémon Master."

"Yeah, Professor Oak said the same thing. But I'm not sure I want to continue training Pokémon, Misty. Without Pikachu, it all seems kind of meaningless now."

"Ash, I know that you miss Pikachu, but you do have other Pokémon."

"No, I don't. They're all at Professor Oak's now. Besides, none of them are Pikachu."

"Ash, I've known you for a long time. And I know that you're at your happiest when you're in the middle of a Pokémon battle. I think if you give up training now, you'll be making a big mistake. You'd never be happy. Ash, you're one of the most talented trainers I've ever known."

"Thanks, Misty. But I don't know what to do now."

"Ash, I think you should go back to Hoenn."

Ash stared at her in disbelief. "Huh? What do you mean, Misty?"

"I mean that you should go back to Hoenn and continue your journey to becoming a Pokémon Master. It's what you and Pikachu have been dreaming about for years. I think going to Hoenn and becoming a Pokémon Master would've been what Pikachu would've wanted. And I think Pikachu would be pretty disappointed if you gave up on your dream because of him."

Ash felt a lump forming in his throat – Misty was right. He took her hand in his and clutched it desperately. "Come with me to Hoenn, Misty."

"Oh, Ash…more than anything I want to go with you. But you know that I can't leave the gym until my sisters get back from their around-the-world trip."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Misty took Ash's face into her hands. "But I promise you that as soon as my sisters get back, I'm going to head out for Hoenn the first thing that day." Misty drew her face to Ash's and kissed him tenderly. "Because I love you, Ash."

"I love you too, Misty." The two embraced.

"Be sure to call and let me know about all your adventures in Hoenn," Misty smiled through her tears.

"I promise, Misty." Ash slowly got to his feet.

"Take care, Ash," Misty said, biting her trembling lip.

"You too, Mist." Ash quickly turned away and headed down the path. He didn't want her to see him crying.

-

"I think Misty's right, Ash. You should go back to Hoenn."

On his way back home from Cerulean City, Ash had stopped by the Pewter City Gym to visit Brock.

"You think so too, Brock?"

"Yeah. You'd be carrying on yours and Pikachu's dream. You'd be honoring Pikachu's memory by continuing what the two of you had started."

"Gee, I never thought of it that way."

"And I'd come with you, Ash, but I have to stay here and teach my younger brother how to run the gym."

"I thought your dad was the gym leader, Brock."

"He's got his hands full with my brothers and sisters, so he's teaching my brother how to run things. And I promised him that I'd help out. Besides, I want to spend a little time with my family." Brock picked up a shirt and proceeded to sew a button on it.

"Thanks for the advice, Brock," Ash said, rising from the table in the Slate family kitchen. "I wish you were coming to Hoenn. I could use someone to talk to along the way."

"You'll do all right on your own, Ash," Brock said, giving Ash a thumbs-up. "You've grown up a lot since we started hanging around together. I think it's time for you to go it on your own."

Ash gave his friend a quick hug. "See ya' around, Brocko."

"Just let me know if you see any pretty girls in Hoenn and be sure to give me their phone numbers," Brock called out as Ash stepped out the door.

Brock watched as his friend waved and then disappeared down the road back to Pallet Town. And even though he knew that Ash would be all right on his own, cutting the apron strings still hurt.

-

"So whaddya think, Pikachu? Should I go back to Hoenn?"

On his way back home from Pewter City, Ash had decided to pay a visit to Pikachu's grave.

"I know it won't be the same without you, buddy," Ash said, picking up one of the wilted yellow roses on the fresh grave. "But like Brock and Misty said, I'd be carrying on our dream."

"Bulba," came a voice from the direction of the cemetery entrance.

"Hey, Bulbasaur," Ash greeted his Pokémon as it made its way over to Pikachu's grave. "I was just having a little talk with Pikachu."

"Bulba?" the Pokémon said questioningly.

"Yeah, I was thinking about going back to Hoenn. Both Brock and Misty think that I should do it. What do you think, Bulbasaur?"

"Saur," the Pokémon nodded.

"You too?" Ash bent down and patted his Pokémon's head. "Yeah, I'll miss you too, Bulbasaur. I wish you could come with me to Hoenn. But you need to stay here with Professor Oak and Tracey and keep the peace around here."

"Ash, if you want to take Bulbasaur with you to Hoenn, feel free."

Ash whirled around in surprise and saw Professor Oak standing on the other side of the fence surrounding the cemetery. He had noticed Ash heading in the direction of the cemetery earlier and thought that the boy might want someone to talk to.

"Oh, Professor…you startled me."

"Sorry, Ash. I didn't mean to. How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"Have you eaten anything today?"

"Yeah. Mom gave me breakfast, I had lunch in Cerulean City, and Brock fed me dinner."

"That's good. Ash, I couldn't help overhearing that you were thinking about going back to Hoenn."

"Yeah. Both Brock and Misty think I should go back. What do you think, Professor? Should I?"

"What do you think you should do, Ash?"

"Well, both Brock and Misty said that I'd be carrying on Pikachu's dream if I did." Ash looked down at the fresh grave at his feet.

"I think so too. I don't think Pikachu would've wanted you to abandon your dream of becoming a Pokémon Master just because he's not around anymore. And if you want to take Bulbasaur with you on your journey, you can."

"I can't do that, Professor. Who's gonna keep the peace around here?"

"Oh, I have someone in mind. There's a Pokémon who's proven that he's an excellent leader, and he's asked me about staying here in Pallet."

"Huh? Who are you talking about, Professor?"

A turtle Pokémon wearing sunglasses stepped out from the bushes. "Squirtle!"

"Squirtle? But…but what about the Squirtle Squad?"

"Squirtle said that all they needed was some guidance in how to get their act together. And he feels confident that they've won enough firefighting competitions that they can do it without him. He said that he wants a new challenge."

Ash knelt down and looked Bulbasaur in the eye. "Whaddya think, Bulbasaur? Should we go win the Hoenn League Championship for Pikachu?"

"Bulbasaur!" the Pokémon said confidently, nodding.

"All right, then," Ash said, standing up and clenching his fist confidently. "We're gonna go back to Hoenn. And we're gonna win it all for Pikachu."

-

"You're what?"

"I'm gonna go back to Hoenn, Mom," Ash replied as he continued stuffing items into his backpack.

"But…but honey, it's so soon after Pikachu's death. Don't you want to spend a little time here recovering? You've had a rough time the last couple of days. Are you sure you're up to the journey? And don't you think that being back in the place where everything happened to Pikachu would be upsetting?"

"That's exactly why I need to go back, Mom. I've got some unfinished business to take care of." Ash zipped up his backpack.

"Ash, I think you need to think over this a little longer," Delia protested. "Don't go rushing into making any impulsive decisions." But Delia knew that her son was legendary for his impulsive behavior, and she might as well be talking to the wall.

"It's not an impulsive decision, Mom. Brock and Misty and Professor Oak all think I should go back to Hoenn and carry on Pikachu's and my dream."

_But I don't_, Delia thought sadly. _I want my baby to stay here. I want to help you, Ash…please don't push me away._

"Honey, I think you should think about this a little more. At least sleep on it tonight. Please?"

"All right, Mom," Ash sighed. He wasn't planning on leaving for Hoenn until the next morning anyway.

That night, the dreams Ash had were far different from the ones he had been having the last couple of days. Instead of dreaming about the good times he and Pikachu had had together, that night he dreamed about Team Rocket.

"We killed your Pikachu, twerp!" Jessie smiled proudly, holding Pikachu's limp body above her head.

"We win, twerp!" James gloated. "Your little electric rat is dead, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Now you'll know not to mess with Team Rocket anymore!" said Meowth as he took Pikachu from Jessie and flung the body at Ash's feet.

Ash awoke with a start, the taunting laughter of Jessie, James, and Meowth still echoing in his head. Heart pounding wildly, Ash looked around and suddenly realized that he was in his room back in Pallet Town.

"Man, Pikachu…I just had a scary dream," Ash said, reaching for the usual spot beside him where Pikachu slept.

When his hand contacted only the blanket on his bed, Ash then remembered that Pikachu was dead. And then all the hatred he had felt for Team Rocket in his dream came rushing back in an instant.

And at that moment Ash's mind was made up. He was more determined than ever to go back to Hoenn now.

He had some unfinished business to take care of.

_To be continued…_


	16. Chapter 16

"Ash, sweetie…what are you doing?"

"Sorry, Mom," Ash said, putting down his backpack. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I just wanted to make sure I caught the first ship to Hoenn."

A half-asleep Delia glanced at the clock in the kitchen. "Ash, it's four-thirty in the morning."

"I know, Mom. But I couldn't sleep." After his nightmare, Ash had spent the rest of the night planning his revenge on Team Rocket and was itching to get on his way to Hoenn.

"Well, at least eat something first." Delia opened the refrigerator. "Do you want some cereal?"

"Well, I do have a few minutes before I have to go catch the boat." Ash sat down at the kitchen table. "And I've got to stop at Professor Oak's and pick up Bulbasaur."

"Ash, were you going to leave without saying good-bye?" Delia said sadly while she filled a bowl with Pokéberry Crunch cereal.

"I was gonna leave you a note, Mom," Ash said as Delia placed the bowl of cereal in front of him. "I didn't want to wake you up."

"I don't care, Ash. I'm your mother. You come wake me up for something important like that, understand?"

"Sorry, Mom." Ash took a bite of cereal.

"Ash, honey, are you absolutely sure this is what you want to do? I mean, after everything that's happened the last couple of days…"

"I'm going back to Hoenn, Mom," Ash declared firmly.

"You may think I'm being overprotective, but I'm worried about you, sweetie," Delia said, reaching for her son's arm. "You've had a rough time these last couple of days. Are you sure you're feeling up to a long journey like this? Don't you want to spend a few days here resting?"

"I'm through with resting, Mom. I've done enough of that the last couple of days. Misty and everyone else are right – I need to get back on the road to Hoenn." Delia opened her mouth to protest. "And don't try to change my mind, Mom. It's made up."

"Oh."

At the sight of his mother's crestfallen face, Ash immediately felt guilty for being so blunt with her.

"Aw, Mom…it's okay." Ash gave his mother's hand a squeeze. "Don't be sad. I've been on my own for a couple of years now. I'll be okay."

Delia shook her head. "You haven't been on your own, Ash. You had Misty or Brock or Tracey with you. But all of them are staying here in Kanto. You're going to be completely on your own now."

"I won't be all alone, Mom. Bulbasaur's coming with me."

"That's not what I meant, Ash."

"Mom, I know you want me to stay here with you. But I can't. Misty and Brock and Professor Oak are right. Being a Pokémon Master is all I've ever dreamed about since I was a little kid. It's part of who I am. And it was Pikachu's dream too. That's why I've got to go back to Hoenn. Pikachu's counting on me."

Delia bit her trembling lip, trying hard not to cry. "All right then, Ash. But before you leave, take this." She reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a small plastic bag containing a tuft of yellow fur.

Ash felt a lump forming in his throat. "Is…is this from…?"

Delia nodded. "I asked Professor Oak to save a lock of Pikachu's fur for you. That way, you'll always have a part of Pikachu with you wherever you go."

"Oh, Mom…" Ash embraced his mother. "Thanks. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Ash." Delia gave her son a quick kiss on the cheek. "Now you'd better hurry up and finish your breakfast. You don't want to be late."

"Don't worry, Mom," Ash said, handing her a napkin to wipe away the tears trickling down her cheeks. "I'll be okay. You don't need to worry about me."

"But I do worry about you all the time, Ash," Delia said, blowing her nose.

"I worry about you too, Mom," Ash admitted. "Tell you what – I'll ask Tracey to stop by and check on you every day. And I'll tell Brock and Misty to come visit you. Especially Misty – she's all alone in the Cerulean City Gym with her sisters being away. She really needs someone to talk to. Maybe you and she can get together and talk about…well, whatever it is women usually talk about. Girl stuff."

A tiny smile appeared on Delia's face.

"And I'll tell Professor Oak to stop by and visit you too. I know you two are friends and all."

And then Delia realized that Ash should know about the nature of her relationship with their next-door neighbor. Perhaps her son wouldn't worry about her so much if he did know the truth.

"Ash, Professor Oak does stop by to visit. Every day, as a matter of fact."

"Really?"

"Yes. Ash, I think you should know that Professor Oak and I are more than just friends."

"More than…? What do you mean, Mom?"

"Ash, Professor Oak and I have been…well, we've been involved for some time now."

"Involved? You mean like…Professor Oak's your _boyfriend_?"

Delia smiled and nodded.

Ash's eyes widened. "You mean, the two of you like…_kiss_ and all?"

Delia nodded again and blushed slightly. "We have kissed a few times, yes."

Ash's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Wow. I had no idea that the two of you were…I mean, I knew that the two of you liked each other, but I didn't realize that you guys liked each other like that. You know, how Misty and I like each other."

"Have you and Misty kissed yet, Ash?" Delia asked curiously.

Ash's face turned bright red. "Well…uh…yeah."

"Have the two of you done more that just kiss?"

Ash's face turned even redder. "Well, if you mean like hugging and stuff, yeah. But if you mean have we…uh, you know, done more than that…no."

Delia inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mom, did you think that Misty and I were…?" Ash's face was crimson now.

"Oh, honey, it's just because you're growing up so quickly. When you left home, you were still my little boy. I still can't believe that you're a teenager now. Remember what I told you when you first started your Pokémon journey?"

"That I should change my underwear every single day?"

"No, although that's still a good thing to do. What I meant was that I said that you were spreading your wings and soaring like a Spearow."

"Oh, yeah. I remember now."

"And now that you have a girlfriend, I think that perhaps it's time that you should know about…well, things that boys and girls do when they like each other."

Ash's jaw dropped. The last thing in the world he had wanted to do before leaving for Hoenn was to have "The Talk" with his mother.

Ash leapt up from the kitchen table. "Uh, I'd better get going, Mom. I don't want to miss the boat to Hoenn. I'll give you a call when I get there." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed his backpack. "I'll see you soon, Mom. Love ya'."

Ash was out the door and halfway up the road to Professor Oak's house before Delia had arisen from her chair.

-

"Ready to go, Bulbasaur?" Ash asked his faithful Pokémon friend as he arrived at the Oak Pokémon Preserve.

"Bulba," he nodded. Having already said his good-byes to the other Pokémon at the preserve the night before, Bulbasaur was eager to get on the road.

"Let's go say good-bye to Pikachu before we get going," Ash said, heading down the path to the Pokémon cemetery.

The sun was starting to rise as Ash and Bulbasaur made their way to Pikachu's grave.

"Hey, Pikachu," Ash addressed the headstone atop the fresh grave. "Bulbasaur and me are gonna go back to Hoenn. We're gonna finish what you and I started." Ash took the plastic bag with the lock of Pikachu's fur in it out of his pocket and clenched it tightly in his fist. "And I'm gonna make Team Rocket pay for what they did to you."

"Ash?"

The boy whirled around in surprise and saw Tracey and Squirtle standing at the entrance to the cemetery.

"Sorry, Ash. I didn't mean to startle you," Tracey apologized. "I was busy feeding the Pokémon and showing Squirtle around the preserve, and we saw you come here." Tracey noticed his friend's backpack. "Heading back to Hoenn?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "Bulbasaur and I are gonna carry on Pikachu's dream. Wanna come along?"

"I'd like to, Ash, but my place is here at the lab. And now it's Squirtle's place too."

Ash knelt down and gave Squirtle a hug. "Be sure to take care of everyone here, okay?"

"Squirtle." The Pokémon gave Ash a thumbs-up sign.

"You too, Tracey." Ash gave his friend a quick hug.

"Don't worry. Professor Oak and Squirtle and I will take good care of all your Pokémon." Tracey glanced down at the small grave at his feet. "And Pikachu too."

"Thanks, Trace." Ash gathered up his things. "Oh, and one more thing – can you tell Professor Oak to watch out for my mom for me?"

Tracey was momentarily taken aback by Ash's request. He didn't think Ash knew about his mother's relationship with his mentor. "Uh…sure, Ash. I'll tell him."

"That way, I won't be so worried about her." Ash explained. "I think she really wanted me to stay here with her for a while. But if she spends more time with Professor Oak, then maybe she won't miss me so much. So how long have they been dating, Tracey?"

"They've been together as long as I've been here," replied Tracey with a smile. "So you finally figured it out, huh?"

"Mom told me. Guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Anyway, make sure my mom doesn't worry too much about me when I'm gone, okay?"

"Sure, Ash."

"Thanks, Tracey." Ash motioned to Bulbasaur. "Come on, Bulbasaur. Let's get going."

Ash looked down at the fresh grave one last time. "'Bye, Pikachu. No matter where I go, I'll never forget you."

And without looking back , he and Bulbasaur started down the path to Hoenn.

_To be continued…_


	17. Chapter 17

During the boat ride to Hoenn, Ash had time to reflect on all the changes that had happened so suddenly. A little over a week ago, he, Pikachu, Brock, and Misty were traveling around as they normally had done. But now Pikachu was dead, Misty was now the Gym Leader in Cerulean City, Brock was back in Pewter City, his mom and Professor Oak were dating…it was too much for him to deal with all at once.

Ash leaned against the ship's railing and took a deep breath of the salty air. He needed to clear his head. And then, without warning, his stomach contracted into a tight ball.

"Bulba?" the Pokémon asked with concern as Ash's hands began shaking.

For an instant Ash wondered if he were ill, but as he looked around he suddenly understood where he was.

"This is it," Ash said through clenched teeth as he gripped the ship's railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "This is where Team Rocket attacked us with that electromagnet."

And realizing that he was in the same spot where the end of Pikachu's life had begun filled Ash's heart with a hatred that he had never known before. For once in his life, he actually felt like killing someone.

"Don't worry, Pikachu," Ash said, reaching inside his pocket for the bag with the snippet of fur. "I'm gonna get those guys for what they did to you. I swear it. If it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna make Team Rocket pay for what they did."

-

"Okay, here comes the twerp." Jessie finished tying a large red bow around Meowth's neck.

"Gahh! Don't strangle me, Jessie!" Meowth loosened the bow slightly so he could breathe once more.

James grabbed a brush and quickly ran it through Meowth's fur.

"Yeoouch! Not so rough, James! Quit pullin' so hard!"

"Okay, Meowth. You look stunning," James said, picking the huge clump of matted fur out of the brush. "Now go do Team Rocket proud."

"I'm really gonna miss youse guys." Meowth's eyes began welling with tears. "We had some great times together."

"No time for that now!" hissed Jessie. "Here comes the twerp!" Jessie seized Meowth by his arm and shoved him through the bushes.

"Jessie, we even didn't get a chance to tell Meowth good-bye," James protested sadly as he and his partner started running in the opposite direction, hoping that Ash wouldn't see them.

"Quit whining, James," Jessie snapped. "It's…it's for the best this way."

But something about the quavering tone of Jessie's voice didn't convince James.

As Ash and Bulbasaur made their way through the forest, something standing in the path up ahead caught their eye. It appeared to be a Pokémon – a Pokémon with a large red bow tied around its neck. Ash drew closer for a better look and then realized who the Pokémon was.

"You've got some nerve showing your face after what you did to Pikachu," Ash said coldly, barely able to contain his fury.

"Now wait a second, twerp," Meowth explained hastily. "Before ya say anything else, I wanted to say that Jessie and James and me are real sorry about what happened to Pikachu. We never meant to hurt da little rodent."

"You did more than _hurt_ Pikachu! You _killed_ him, you…you…!" Ash was so furious that he couldn't even come up with an adjective to describe what he thought of Meowth.

"Now wait a minute," Meowth gulped, cowering. "De reason I'm here is because we wanna make it up to youse. Ya see, Jessie and James and me decided that since we're kinda responsible for what happened to Pikachu, den we…well, I'm gonna be your new Pokémon."

"You're _what_!" Ash said incredulously.

"Yep. Since you loved Pikachu a lot, den Jessie and James decided to give youse a Pokémon dey loved a lot to make up for what we did." Meowth straightened his bow. "So I'm all yours, kiddo."

"I can't believe this…you guys are incredible," Ash sputtered.

"Yeah, it is pretty incredible dat Jessie and James would do the right thing for once, ain't it?" Meowth smiled.

"No…I can't believe that you actually have the nerve to say what you just did! You killed Pikachu and now you're offering to take his place? You're the one who murdered my Pokémon, you…you bastard!"

"Hey, we was just tryin' to help!" Meowth replied angrily. "We was just tryin' to make up for what we done to Pikachu."

"I don't need your help!" Ash shouted. "And I'm gonna show you how you can make up for what you did to Pikachu. Matter of fact, I'm gonna make you pay for what you did – right here, right now! All I've been thinking about these last few days is what I was going to do to you when I found you! And now it's payback time."

A chill ran up Meowth's spine at the murderous gleam in Ash's eye.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash ordered sharply. "I want you to attack Meowth with your Vine Whip! And don't stop until I tell you to."

"Bulbasaur!" The grass Pokémon leapt forward and began buffeting Meowth with a frenzied Vine Whip attack.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" cried Meowth as he tried vainly to shield himself from the many powerful blows Bulbasaur inflicted on it. Even though Meowth could have defended himself, he chose not to because deep down in his heart, he felt that he did deserve the punishment being meted out to him for what he did to Pikachu.

In a matter of minutes, a whimpering Meowth lay bruised and bleeding before Ash's feet. Bulbasaur, feeling that his opponent had had enough, retracted its vines.

"What are you doing, Bulbasaur?" Ash shouted angrily. "I told you to keep hitting Meowth with your Vine Whip until I told you to stop! I haven't told you to stop yet!"

Bulbasaur gave his trainer a confused look. "Bulba?" _("Hasn't Meowth had enough?")_

"Don't talk back! Just get in there and finish him off!" Ash ordered fiercely.

Bulbasaur stared dumbly at Ash, not believing what his trainer had just ordered him to do.

"Damn it, Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled, taking off his cap and flinging it violently to the ground. "I'm your trainer, and you have to obey me! Now you get back over there and take care of Meowth once and for all!"

Bulbasaur, torn between obeying his trainer and not wanting to hurt Meowth further, slowly made its way over to where the injured Pokémon lay bleeding. A pair of vines appeared from the bulb on Bulbasaur's back and flew towards Meowth, who cringed and tried desperately to shield itself from the next onslaught of blows with its paws. But as the vines flew towards Meowth, they suddenly slowed and ended up delivering only a light tap.

"Saur," _("No more.")_ said Bulbasaur firmly, shaking his head. He retracted his vines.

"What the hell are you doing, Bulbasaur?" Ash screamed furiously. "I told you to finish him off!"

"Bulbasaur!" _("This is wrong!")_ the Pokémon replied defiantly.

"Fine. If you won't finish him, then I will!" Ash went over to where Meowth lay whimpering and delivered a violent kick to the Pokémon's midsection, causing the Pokémon to double over and shriek with pain.

"Bulba!" _("What are you doing!")_

"I'm gonna do to you what you did to Pikachu, you bastard!" Ash snarled as he prepared to deliver another kick to the sobbing Meowth.

Horrified, Bulbasaur's vines shot out and wrapped around Ash's leg, pulling the boy to the ground.

"Bulbasaur, what are you doing?" Ash shouted, tugging on the vines that held his leg fast. "Let go of me!"

Bulbasaur shook his head. "Bulbasaur! Bulba-bulba-saur!" _("This is wrong! Meowth may have done some bad things, but he doesn't deserve this!")_

"Let go of me right now, Bulbasaur, or else I'm gonna…!" Ash raised his fist threateningly.

Still keeping a firm hold on Ash's leg, Bulbasaur lowered his head and braced himself for the blow. He would rather allow himself to be abused instead of Meowth.

"Oh my God, what am I doing?" Ash gasped in horror. "I nearly hit you. Oh my God, I almost hit my own Pokémon!" Ash unclenched his fist. "Oh, Bulbasaur…I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Tears of shame started burning Ash's eyes. "Oh, no…what have I done?"

Bulbasaur freed Ash's leg. The boy buried his face in his hands and began sobbing.

"Saur," _("It's okay.")_ Bulbasaur said comfortingly, nuzzling his trainer.

"No. It's not okay," Ash said, wiping away his tears and standing up. "But I'm gonna make it right." He bend over Meowth, who lay in a whimpering heap next to his feet.

"No…please don't…" the injured Pokémon begged in a faint voice, raising a trembling paw to fend off another blow.

"Oh, Meowth…oh, Meowth, I'm so sorry," Ash whispered softly. He gently lifted the Pokémon, who was covered in blood and bruises, and cradled him in his arms. "Come on, Bulbasaur – we've got to get Meowth to a Pokémon Center right away!"

The boy took off at top speed down the path with Bulbasaur at his heels.

_To be continued…_


	18. Chapter 18

Ash stared at the clock in the Pokémon Center. Meowth had been in the treatment room for over two hours.

"If Meowth dies, it's all my fault," Ash said hopelessly. "I was so mad at him that I actually wanted to…to…" Ash buried his face in his hands, ashamed of what he had done.

"Ash?"

The boy leapt to his feet at the sound of Nurse Joy's voice.

"Nurse Joy…is Meowth okay?"

"He has some pretty serious internal injuries and has lost a lot of blood," Nurse Joy said, pulling off her examination gloves. "But I've managed to stabilize him, and I think he'll pull through."

Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

"However," Nurse Joy gave Ash a stern look. "I would like to know how your Meowth got into this condition in the first place."

"Where is he? Where's Meowth?" Jessie shouted as she and James burst into the Pokémon Center.

"You!" exclaimed Ash. "What are you doing here?"

"Where's Meowth?" Jessie repeated, shoving past Ash to Nurse Joy.

"Is Meowth your Pokémon?" Nurse Joy asked, confused.

"Yes, he is!" Jessie said. "Now tell us where he is!"

"Um, Jessie…we don't own Meowth anymore, remember?" James reminded her.

Jessie ignored her partner and shoved her face into Nurse Joy's. "Tell us where Meowth is NOW!"

The pair, having a last-minute change of heart, had returned to the spot where they had left Meowth in order to reclaim him, only to discover a puddle of blood. Fearing the worst, they had gone off in a frantic search for their Pokémon friend at the nearest Pokémon Center.

"First of all, you have some nerve barging in here like this!" Nurse Joy's temper matched Jessie's word for word. "I have many sick and injured Pokémon that need their rest! Second, how dare you let your Pokémon get into the condition it's in! Your Meowth was nearly dead when this boy brought him in. You're fortunate that he found it just in time."

Jessie whirled around to face Ash. "What happened to Meowth?"

"Like you care," Ash replied harshly.

"Damn it, you little twerp!" Jessie seized Ash by the lapels of his jacket. "Tell us what happened to Meowth or else I'm going to…!"

"Kill me, like you did my Pikachu?" Ash shot back.

"That was an accident!" Jessie replied, releasing Ash. "We never meant to kill Pikachu!"

"You killed a Pokémon?" Nurse Joy gasped in horror, staring at Jessie.

"It was an accident!" Jessie repeated. "That's why we gave you Meowth in the first place – to make up for what we did."

"Wait a minute. I'm confused," said Nurse Joy. "Who is Meowth's trainer?"

"We are!" Jessie said, drowning out her partner's objections. "And you'd better tell us what happened to him now!"

"Your Meowth has some serious injuries," replied Nurse Joy. "Multiple lacerations and contusions, ruptured spleen, a bruised liver, and has lost a great deal of blood. For a while I wasn't certain that he was going to survive the treatment."

Both Ash and Jessie turned pale and sank down onto the sofa in the waiting room.

"Oh…oh, no. Poor Meowth," James said in a voice quavering with emotion.

"I'm going to find whoever did this to Meowth and make them pay," Jessie declared angrily, slamming her clenched fist on the arm of the sofa. "Did you see who did this, twerp?"

"Yeah," Ash replied in a barely audible voice.

"You did?" Jessie whirled around and grabbed Ash by the jacket lapels once more. "What did they look like? Where did they go? Did you see how many of them were there?"

Ash lowered his eyes in shame. "I did this to Meowth."

"You…_you_ did?" Shocked, Jessie released her grip on Ash.

"I was angry with him – with all of you – for what you did to Pikachu. And I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," Ash apologized.

Before Ash knew what hit him, Jessie's fist flew out and sent him reeling to the floor in pain.

"Get out! Get out right now before I call Officer Jenny!" Nurse Joy shouted. "There's no fighting of any kind allowed in my Pokémon Center!" She bent over Ash and began attending to his bloody nose.

"We're going," Jessie said. "But when Meowth is better, he's coming back with us." Jessie gave Ash a look of pure disgust. "Even though we may yell at our Pokémon once in a while, we've never tried to kill them. Come on, James. Let's go."

-

Once Ash's nose had stopped bleeding, he went outside in search of Team Rocket. He didn't have to look far – James was sitting on a rock just outside the entrance to the Pokémon Center.

"Any news on Meowth?" James asked as Ash approached him.

Ash shook his head.

"How's your nose?" James inquired. "Did Jessie break it? She broke mine once."

Ash shook his head again. "No."

"Look, don't be mad with Jessie," James said. "Her temper gets the best of her once in a - okay, it always gets the best of her – but she was worried about Meowth. Even though she won't admit it, she loves the little guy. That's why it was so hard for us to give him away. But after what we did to your Pikachu, we knew that it was the only thing we could do to make it up to you."

"I do deserve this bloody nose," Ash said, sinking down next to James. "I was so angry with you guys that I took it out on Meowth. And I nearly killed him. I can't believe I got so out of control."

"Look, twerp…if it will make you feel better, you can hit me instead."

Ash gave the blue-haired boy a surprised look. "I don't want to hit you, James. I don't ever want to hit anything or anyone ever again."

"Come on, it'll make you feel better. Besides, you're right. We do deserve it after what we did to your Pikachu." James stuck out his chin. "Come on. Do it."

"No," Ash protested. "I don't want to."

"I said, do it, twerp. Come on, right on the chin."

"No, James."

"Oh, come on, twerp! Hit me! Hit me right now – as hard as you can!"

"James, for the last time…"

James shoved Ash roughly. "Come on, twerp! Be a man for once and hit me!"

The next thing James knew, he was lying on the ground moaning.

"Oh God…oh, James, I'm so sorry!" Ash knelt down and bent over his victim.

"For a little twerp, you sure do hit hard," James said, sitting up and wiping the blood away from his mouth. "Have you seen my tooth?"

"Oh man, let me help you up." Ash helped James back up onto the rock.

"It's okay. I think all my teeth are intact," James said, wiping his bloody mouth on his sleeve. "Feel better now?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I don't. Actually, I feel even worse now."

"Then why did you hit me in the first place if it didn't make you feel any better!" James shouted. "That was the whole point of all this!"

"This is wrong. This is all wrong. Revenge is wrong. I wanted to make you guys pay for what you did to Pikachu because I thought it's make me feel better. But I feel even worse now." Ash buried his face in his hands. "Oh man, I'm so confused."

"Look…even though you may not believe it, we liked Pikachu too. Especially Meowth – the other day he was rambling on about how the two of them were handcuffed together or something, and they became friends."

"All you guys were trying to do was make up from what you did and I nearly killed Meowth." Ash began to cry. "I nearly killed Meowth, and I nearly hit Bulbasaur. I probably would've killed him too if I hadn't come to my senses. Oh God, I want to die."

"Well, don't do that, twerp," James said. "You'll put us out of a job. All we've done these past few years is chase after you and your Pikachu. Matter of fact, I don't know what's going to happen to us now. The Boss will probably fire us." James sighed. "We're the worst Team Rocket agents in the world."

Jessie, who had just returned from getting some burgers, gasped at the sight of her partner's bloody mouth and glared viciously at Ash.

"Did he hit you too, James?" She raised her fist and advanced menacingly on the younger boy. "I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget, twerp."

"Lay off him, Jessie," James interceded, sticking out his arm to block her path. "We've both had enough for one day. Besides, it's not his fault. I forced him to hit me."

"You…?" Jessie gave her partner an incredulous look. "James, have you lost your mind?"

"No. Matter of fact, I think that punch in the mouth knocked some sense into me." James stood up and took Jessie's hand in his. "Jess, remember a little while back when we found out that we weren't members of Team Rocket anymore?"

"So? We paid our dues and got back in."

"Jessie, remember how we talked about how we were going to form our own team? Just you and me and Meowth?"

"James, do you have a concussion? You're not making any sense."

"I'm making perfect sense, Jessie. Look, all we've done these past few years is chase around the twerps and try to steal Pikachu. Now that he's gone, what's left for us, Jessie? What are we going to do now?"

"I…I don't know."

"The Boss is going to fire us for sure after what we did to Pikachu. So why don't we start our own team instead? Just you and me…and Meowth, of course?"

"I…oh, James…" Jessie's eyes filled with tears, and she embraced her partner. Ash watched in disbelief as Jessie tenderly wiped the blood away from James's cut lip.

"Believe it or not, twerp, we did like your little yellow rodent," Jessie admitted grudgingly, glancing back at Ash. "Pikachu always gave us a reason to get up in the morning – something to look forward to each day."

"And now we've got something new to look forward to each day," James said, smiling tenderly at Jessie.

"But that still doesn't excuse what you did to Meowth," Jessie said, eyeing Ash coldly. "We never intended to harm your Pokémon."

"I know. And I'm gonna make it up to Meowth right now," Ash said determinedly. He marched into the Pokémon Center and made his way directly to the Critical Care Unit.

"How is he, Nurse Joy?" Ash asked softly, staring down at the unconscious Pokémon, who was wrapped in bandages from head to toe.

Nurse Joy studied the monitors that were keeping track of the Pokémon's vital signs. "A little better. He's still unconscious, though."

"Can he hear me?" Ash asked, sitting down in the chair next to Meowth's bed.

"I don't know, Ash. Why don't you see?" Nurse Joy moved aside, and Ash gently took the Pokémon's paw in his hand.

"Meowth, I'm so sorry for what I did," Ash said softly. "And there's no excuse for what I did. Matter of fact, I should be lying in that bed instead of you. Someone really needs to kick the crap out of me for what I did."

Jessie, who had entered the room, made a move towards Ash, but James stopped her.

"I hope that you can forgive me for what I did, Meowth. I know that what happened to Pikachu wasn't your fault. You didn't mean to kill Pikachu." Ash's lower lip began trembling. "None of this meant for any of this to happen."

"I forgive youse, kiddo," Meowth whispered in a weak voice as his eyelids fluttered open.

"Meowth!" Jessie shrieked excitedly, pushing aside Ash and giving the Pokémon a huge hug.

"Geez, what's with you, Jess?" Meowth said, confused. "Did youse get bopped on the head too?"

"Oh, Meowth!" Jessie planted a huge kiss on the Pokémon's forehead.

"Okay, I'm officially delirious now," Meowth muttered as James proceeded to give him a hug. "Yeoouch! Watch the ribs, Jimmy!"

-

"So where are you off to now?" James asked as Ash gathered up his backpack.

"Guess I'll head off to Littleroot Town. What about you?"

"Like I said, Jessie and Meowth and I will start our own team. It's time for us to move on. Nurse Joy said that Meowth should be well enough to travel in a couple of weeks. That'll give us enough time to figure out what Jessie and I will do with our lives." James extended his hand to Ash, who stared at it in disbelief for a moment, then shook it. "Good luck, twer…Ash."

"Good luck, you guys," Ash smiled. "Come on, Bulbasaur. Let's see where our path together leads."

And the two continued down the road to Littleroot.

_To be continued…_


	19. Chapter 19

Professor Birch had just returned from a busy afternoon observing a flock of Swellow and was getting ready for dinner when he was interrupted by a knock at his front door.

"Yes? Can I…?" His gaze fell upon a dark-haired boy in a baseball cap who was accompanied by a Bulbasaur.

"Hi, Professor Birch. Do you remember me?"

Professor Birch smiled in recognition. "It's nice to see you again, Ash. I wasn't sure you were going to return to Hoenn, given the circumstances."

"Actually, I'm still not certain that I want to participate in the Hoenn League," Ash said doubtfully. "I'm not even sure now that I want to continue training."

"Ash, I'm sorry about what happened to your Pikachu," Professor Birch said, leading the boy into his office. "I just wish I could've done more to help you. I've told Officer Jenny to keep a lookout for the creeps that did this. Matter of fact, I wish I could have five minutes alone with them." Professor Birch clenched one of his huge fists.

"It's okay, Professor Birch. I took care of it. And besides, revenge is wrong. It doesn't make anything better. Matter of fact, all it does is makes things worse."

Professor Birch unclenched his fist and smiled at having been taught a lesson in wisdom by a boy less than half his age. "You're right, Ash. You're absolutely right." The professor then noticed Ash's badly bruised nose. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to your nose? Did you have an accident on the way over?"

"Oh, that." Ash wasn't particularly keen on sharing the fact that he had nearly killed Meowth on the way over to Littleroot. "It's okay, Professor Birch. Don't worry about it."

"I don't know about that, Ash. It looks like it might be broken." Professor Birch tilted Ash's chin up so he could examine the boy's injury.

"No, really, Professor Birch. I'm fine." Ash was already feeling guilty about what he had done to Meowth. He didn't think he deserved any sympathy for the consequences of his actions. "It doesn't hurt that much, honest."

"Still…I think you need an ice pack on that. It looks pretty swollen. Come back with me to the treatment room, and we'll fix you up. Besides, I'd like to show you something."

Ash reluctantly followed Professor Birch down the hall to the treatment room where he gave the boy an ice pack. "There. That should help the swelling go down. Make yourself comfortable, and I'll be back in a minute." Professor Birch returned a minute late with a Poké ball and handed it to Ash.

Ash studied the red and white ball curiously. "What is it, Professor?"

"Open it and find out."

"Okay. Poké ball, go!" Ash threw the ball and a green, lizard-like Pokémon appeared in a flash of light. "Oh, it's a…that grass-type Pokémon I saw the last time I was here. Treekip or Gecko or…"

"Treecko," Professor Birch corrected him. "But this isn't just any Treecko, Ash."

"Huh? What do you mean, Professor Birch?"

"Ash, this Treecko belonged to someone very special." Professor Birch's smile faded. "Treecko belonged to my niece, Lindsey. She was a Pokémon trainer just like you, Ash. Matter of fact, she was just about your age." Professor Birch opened his wallet and handed the boy a picture of a pretty girl with straight, dark hair the same color as Ash's.

Then it struck Ash. "Wait a minute…_was_ my age?"

"Lindsey was killed a few months ago in a car accident," Professor Birch said sadly, studying his niece's picture. "And Treecko, like me, is still grieving for her. And that's why I think you should have Treecko."

"Me? Why me?"

"Ash, Treecko needs a trainer who understands what it's like to lose someone you love – someone who's sympathetic to its grief. And I can't think of anyone who is better suited for the job than you, Ash. You and Treecko need each other."

"I…Professor Birch, I don't know…" Ash said doubtfully, recalling his actions toward Meowth and Bulbasaur. The boy was uncertain if he could ever trust himself around another Pokémon again.

"Ash, Lindsey and Treecko were in the middle of training for the Hoenn League Championship when the accident happened. They could've won it all if Lindsey hadn't died."

"Wow. You and Lindsey must've been an awesome team, Treecko," Ash said admiringly, giving the Pokémon's head a light pat.

"They were, Ash. Kind of like how you and Pikachu were. Professor Oak told me about all the competitions you and Pikachu have been in. Placing in the top sixteen in the Indigo League – an impressive accomplishment for a first-year trainer, the Orange League Cup, the Whirl Cup quarterfinals, the Johto League semifinals…you're obviously a very talented Pokémon trainer. One who could make it to the Hoenn League Championship."

Ash was ready to tell Professor Birch that he wasn't planning on continuing his Pokémon training after everything that happened earlier. But as the boy's gaze met Treecko's, the words stuck in his throat. Deep down in his heart, Ash couldn't abandon a Pokémon that had lost its trainer. And despite everything that had happened, Ash still wanted to be a Pokémon Master more than anything else in the world.

"Whaddya think, Treecko?" Ash said, kneeling down next to the Pokémon. "Would you like to come with me and Bulbasaur?"

The Pokémon looked up doubtfully at Ash. "Treecko."

"Don't worry, Treecko," Ash reassured the Pokémon, stroking its scaly head. "I promise that I'll take good care of you. And I swear that I'll never hurt you or another Pokémon ever again as long as I live."

"I know you'll do my niece proud," Professor Birch smiled. "Being the Hoenn League Champion was Lindsey's dream."

"Don't you worry, Professor Birch. We'll win the Hoenn League Championship," Ash said confidently. "And we'll do it for Lindsey. Right, Treecko?"

The Pokémon smiled and nodded. "Treecko."

"Come on, Treecko. We'd better get going." Ash gathered up his backpack.

"Leaving so soon?" Professor Birch said, following Ash down the hallway to the door. "I was in the middle of making my world-famous spaghetti. You're welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like."

"Sorry, Professor. Treecko and I have got to get on our way to Petalburg Gym and our first Hoenn League badge. Right, Treecko?" Ash smiled at his new Pokémon, who smiled confidently back.

"Good luck to you, Ash," Professor Birch said, shaking the boy's hand.

"Don't worry, Professor Birch. With Treecko and Bulbasaur by my side, there's no way we can lose." Ash reached inside his pocket and lightly touched the plastic bag containing the lock of Pikachu's fur. "Because we're gonna win this one for both Lindsey and Pikachu. Right, Bulbasaur?"

"Bulbasaur!" the Pokémon agreed.

And the three headed off down the path for Petalburg Gym.

_To be continued…_


	20. Chapter 20

Professor Oak was heading upstairs to bed when his videophone rang.

"I'll get it, Tracey," the scientist called out to his assistant, who had just gone upstairs to bed.

_Who in the world would be calling so late_, Professor Oak wondered as he picked up the receiver to the videophone in the living room.

"Hi, Professor Oak," smiled a dark-haired boy in a baseball cap.

"Hello, Ash," Professor Oak smiled back. "This is certainly a surprise."

"I was just calling to say that I made it to Hoenn okay. I'm at the Pokémon Center in Petalburg. I tried calling my mom, but she was asleep already – I did wake her up pretty early this morning. Can you give her the message when you two go out on your next date?"

Professor Oak's face turned bright red.

"It's okay, Professor. Mom told me about you two before I left Pallet," Ash grinned, amused by his mentor's reaction.

"Now I understand why Tracey told me that you wanted me to look out for your mom," Professor Oak said.

"Yeah. And I think it's pretty cool that the two of you are together. That way, I won't worry about her so much. And will you tell her not to worry about me?"

"I think she's always going to worry about you, Ash. After all, you're always going to be her little boy now matter how old you are. Which reminds me – I promised your mother that I'd have a little talk with you about…uh, growing up."

Now Ash's face was the one turning bright red. He didn't know which was worse – hearing "The Talk" from his mother or from Professor Oak.

"Uh…I'm kind of tired, Professor," Ash gulped hastily. "Maybe I oughta take a rain check and…"

A green, lizard-like Pokémon appeared next to Ash. "Treecko."

"You caught a new Pokémon already, Ash?" said Professor Oak, who was just as delighted as Ash to abandon the previous subject.

"Actually, Professor Birch gave him to me. This is Treecko," Ash explained, stroking his new Pokémon's head. "He used to belong to Professor Birch's niece, but she got killed in a car crash."

"Yes. Professor Birch told me about Lindsey. It was a terrible loss for him. And I imagine it's a terrible loss for Treecko too."

"Yeah. But that's why Professor Birch let me have Treecko. He said that I'd understand how Treecko's feeling. He said that Treecko and I need each other."

"I agree with Professor Birch. I think that's very wise."

"Yeah, but at first I wasn't so sure that I wanted to have another Pokémon."

"Because of Pikachu?" Professor Oak asked sympathetically.

"No…I…" Ash's face began going red with shame.

"Is something wrong, Ash?" He then noticed the boy's injury. "Ash, what happened to your nose? Are you all right?"

"Oh, Professor…I've gotta talk about this with somebody," Ash gulped. "But Brock and Misty aren't around, and I don't know who else I can talk to."

"Ash, you know you can confide in me," Professor Oak said gently. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"Professor Oak, have you ever…did you ever hit a Pokémon?"

"Hit a Pokémon?"

"Yeah. And I don't mean just a little tap. I mean, really beat up a Pokémon. Really bad. So bad that you nearly killed it."

Shaken, Professor Oak sank down in his chair. "I think you'd better start from the beginning, Ash. Tell me what's going on."

"Oh, Professor…Meowth…all he wanted to do was make up for what he did to Pikachu." Ash stifled a sob. "But I was so furious with him for what he and Team Rocket had done that I made Bulbasaur beat him up. And when Bulbasaur stopped, I started hitting Meowth. And I nearly hit Bulbasaur too. I was so angry. All I wanted to do was make him pay for killing Pikachu."

"Ash, is Meowth…?"

"He's gonna be okay, Professor. No thanks to me. But now I'm not so sure that I can trust myself around a Pokémon again." Ash lowered his head in shame. "The only reason I took Treecko was because there was no way I was going to turn Professor Birch down after he told me about his niece. He said he was counting on me to continue Lindsey's dream."

"Ash, I don't think Professor Birch would've given you Treecko if he thought you were going to hurt it."

"That's just it, Professor Oak. I didn't tell him about what I did to Meowth. I wasn't going to tell anyone about it, but…but I feel so bad about what I did. Ever since we left Professor Birch's place with Treecko, that's all I've been thinking about."

"That you should've told Professor Birch about what happened with you and Meowth?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. At first, I was really excited about participating in the Hoenn League, but now I'm not so sure." The boy gulped anxiously. "Professor, do they take away people's Pokémon trainer's licenses for doing what I did? Because if they do, then I deserve to lose mine. And since you're the one who gave me my license in the first place…" Ash reached inside his pocket for his Pokédex. "You should be the one to take this back."

"Is this why you're telling me this, Ash?"

The boy bit his lip and nodded.

"Ash, do you remember a couple of days ago when I told you about how my first Pokémon died?"

"Yeah. The Beedrill attacked your Pidgey."

"Ash, I didn't tell you the rest of the story."

"The rest of…? I don't understand, Professor."

"Ash, when I saw my Pidgey fall dead at my feet, the only thing I felt then was rage – the same rage you felt for the Pokémon that killed your Pikachu. I was so furious at the Beedrill for killing Pidgey that I told my Charmeleon to attack them with everything it had. And you know as well as I do that insect-type Pokémon are weak against fire types. I ended up killing several of the Beedrill."

Ash was shocked by his mentor's admission of guilt. Ash had known Professor Oak all his life and had never known him to be a violent person.

"You…you actually killed the Beedrill?' Ash said, eyes wide with surprise.

"Yes, Ash. And I'm not proud of what I did. Self-defense is one thing, revenge is another. When I saw the charred bodies of the Beedrill lying at my feet, I couldn't believe what I had done. And I'm still ashamed of that today."

"You…so you know how…"

"Yes, Ash. I do. And it takes a lot of courage for a man to admit his wrongdoing."

Ash stared at Professor Oak in disbelief. "A…a man?"

"Learning from your mistakes is part of growing up, Ash. And knowing what you've done wrong and facing up to it takes a lot of guts. Put away your Pokédex, son."

"But…but I…"

"Ash, I've known you all your life. And after what you've told me today, you've proven to me that I can trust you. Because I know that you won't let what happened with Meowth ever happen again."

"Professor Oak, I promise that I'll never hit another Pokémon as long as I live," Ash declared firmly. "Revenge is totally wrong. It makes things worse, not better."

"I know, Ash. I know. And I'm glad you told me, Ash. Have you talked to Misty or Brock about this yet?"

Ash shook his head. "I wanted to talk to you about it first. I figured that since you…well, you're older and all, that you might…"

"Understand?"

"Yeah," Ash smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Professor Oak. I feel a lot better now."

"Anytime, Ash. Now you get some sleep so you'll be fully rested for your gym battle tomorrow."

"I will, Professor. Because Treecko and Bulbasaur and I are gonna win that gym badge tomorrow. Right, guys?"

"Bulbasaur!"

"Treecko!"

As Ash put his Pokédex back inside his pocket, he touched the plastic bag with Pikachu's fur inside it. Ash pulled it out and looked at it once more.

"And thanks for this, Professor," Ash said, holding up the bag to the videoscreen. "This really means a lot to me."

"Your mother was the one who thought you should have that, Ash."

Ash opened the bag and lightly touched the soft, shining, golden-yellow fur.

"And I promise you, Pikachu, that from now on I'll always make you proud of me. Because someday I am going to be a Pokémon Master."

"I think Pikachu would be very proud of you now, Ash," smiled Professor Oak.

"Bulba," agreed Bulbasaur, who gently nudged Ash's leg.

"I'll tell your mother that you called, Ash."

"Good night, Professor Oak. And thanks."

"You're welcome, Ash. Good night."

And as Ash put down the phone receiver and glanced out the window at the golden moon shining overhead, he could've sworn for an instant that he saw Pikachu's smiling face beaming down at him.

THE END


End file.
